Gov. Stitt Defends Education Goals During Weekly Press Conference

Governor Kevin Stitt speaks out in defense of taxpayer-funded religious charter schools following a withdrawn opinion of the Oklahoma Attorney General.

“Religious liberties are the keys to all other liberties,” said Governor Stitt during a press conference Friday. “Am I supportive of the Catholics choosing and going out and setting up a Catholic charter school? 100%, I think it’s great. Just like if the Jewish community wanted to set up a charter school, or the Muslim community.” 

Newly elected Attorney General Gentner Drummond withdrew the opinion of his predecessor John O’Connor saying publicly funded religious charters are “a misuse of the concept of religious liberty.” 

In a statement Thursday, Drummond said in part that the opinion supporting religious charter schools was a "means to justify state-funded religion.”

The Governor said he disagrees with the withdrawal adding, “That is his job to interpret what he believes the law is, and issue those types of opinions. Just like it was John O’Connor’s job before he was Attorney General.”

Gov. Stitt went on to say parents may want to raise their children in certain beliefs, “I believe that kids belong to parents not the government.”

Education was one of the primary focuses of the press conference.

The Governor was also asked about comments made by Superintendent Ryan Walters expressing concerns about state universities.

Walters questioned whether those institutions are properly equipping students or pushing ideology.

“It makes me question if we should be continuing to encourage young people to go into these universities,” Walters said at an Oklahoma Board of Education meeting Thursday.

Governor Stitt said he was not aware of the comment or the context, but spoke out in support of Oklahoma universities.

“I would be 100% fine with us educating every single young person at our universities here,” he said.