• Sen. Adam Pugh filed a resolution to disapprove the standards adopted by the Oklahoma State Board of Education, citing transparency concerns.
• Democrats previously filed resolutions to reject the standards, deeming them too advanced and politically biased.
• The Legislature has until May 1 to act on the standards, otherwise, they will automatically take effect.

A prominent Republican in the state Senate is making moves to return controversial social studies standards back to the Oklahoma State Board of Education before they take effect.

Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, filed Senate Joint Resolution 20, which would declare the Legislature “hereby disapproves in whole the social studies and science subject matter standards approved by the State Board of Education on February 27, 2025.” Pugh chairs the Senate Education Committee.

Pugh’s resolution comes after weeks of speculation about whether GOP lawmakers would take action on the standards. The standards have been at the center of controversy since they were introduced in December with dozens of mentions of the Bible. State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters later circulated a new version of the standards, featuring one section that includes requires students to learn about 2020 election denialism.

Pugh filed the resolution April 24, hours after a debate during an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting. Walters and three new board members accused each other of lying over the content of the previously approved social studies standards.

More: Oklahoma State Board of Education delays vote to clarify official record with Ryan Walters

Oklahoma State Board of Education members say online version of standards different than what they received

Board members have said the version of the standards on which they voted during a February meeting didn’t match what was publicly available on the education department’s website. In response, Walters accused the board members and Gov. Kevin Stitt of spreading misinformation about the process.

“I can’t make you read,” Walters said during the meeting. “I can’t make you do the research before you vote. But here’s what I’m going to say, and my expectation is to not have board members lie about a process and create a fake controversy.”

A spokesperson for Walters and the education department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pugh’s resolution notes “questions exist regarding the transparency of the subject matter standard adoption process.”

However, members of the Senate and House Democratic caucuses had also filed joint resolutions to reject the standards, calling the proposed subject matter “too advanced” for the agents of students and “politically charged and biased.”

Pugh’s resolution is more likely to gain traction since Republicans control both chambers. It represents the first step in the process of potentially returning the standards to the board. Two board members told The Oklahoman that this is their wish.

It is unclear if House leaders will sign on to the resolution. Hours before Pugh filed the resolution, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, seemed doubtful that his chamber would take action but said, “If we were to do anything, it would be in concert with the state Senate.”

On April 23, Stitt called on the Legislature to act on the standards and championed proposed legislation that would allow board members to add items to the meeting agenda.

That legislation, House Bill 1491, didn’t clear the Thursday deadline for House bills to be heard in a Senate committee. It was sponsored by Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, and Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, and would have allowed an item to be placed on the agenda if requested in writing by at least two members of the board.

The Legislature has until May 1 to take action on the proposed standards. If they do nothing, the standards will automatically go into effect.

“The standards themselves, the Legislature, hopefully they’ll act on that,” Stitt said April 23. “I don’t know. They may punt it to me, so we’ll see.”

Contributing: Scott Carter and Murray Evans

When No. 3 Texas visits No. 4 Oklahoma for a three-game series in Norman, it’s not just about bragging rights or a historic rivalry — it’s about who takes control of the SEC title race, and who positions themselves for a top national seed heading into the postseason.

Both teams enter the weekend at 13-5 in SEC play, tied for second and trailing only Texas A&M by a razor-thin margin. With just two weekends left before the SEC tournament, every inning matters.

For Texas, it starts with balance. The Longhorns have firepower throughout the lineup — they lead the SEC with a .359 team batting average — and they’ve shown the ability to manufacture runs and hit for power. Reese Atwood leads the way with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs, while Mia Scott, Kayden Henry and Ashton Maloney are all batting over .425. In the circle, Teagan Kavan (20-3, 1.63 ERA) headlines a pitching staff that ranks among the most consistent in the country, holding opponents to a .205 batting average.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, is trending upward after a midseason lull. The Sooners swept Mississippi State last weekend and come in riding a three-game win streak. Kasidi Pickering (.431) and Ella Parker (.386) remain relentless at the plate, while freshman Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and Isabela Emerling have added timely power. OU has launched 84 home runs, and their pitching staff — led by Sam Landry (15-3, 1.89 ERA) — continues to keep opponents in check.

The Sooners have historically dominated this rivalry — they’ve won 13 of the last 16 meetings and beat Texas in two games at last year’s Women’s College World Series. But this Texas team is deeper, more battle-tested, and just earned its first win at Oklahoma State in nearly a decade.

And yes — it absolutely feels like June in April.

Tuttle pitcher Hunter Watson was completely un-hittable in his start against Bridge Creek, in Oklahoma high school baseball action, on April 21, as he struck out 21 batters in a seven inning, no-hit effort, which his team won, 10-1.

Watson, who is committed to the University of Oklahoma, struck out the side in order in five of the seven innings, allowing his only walk in the second. In the fourth, Ethan Taylor was the only Bridge Creek player to put the ball in play against Watson when he hit an infield grounder and went to second on a two base error. Taylor then came around to score on back-to-back passed balls.

Every player in the Bridge Creek lineup struck-out at least twice as Watson mowed them down with 108 pitches.

Jett McCoy paced the Tuttle offense with two hits in four trips, driving in two and scoring a run in the win. Dakota Mallory went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI.

The contest was the first game of a double-header and the Tigers won the second game, 11-1. They are now 24-6 this season.