In press releases, 78 Republican lawmakers have now called on State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister to allow full implementation of House Bill 1775 at the July 12 meeting of the State Board of Education.

House Bill 1775 banned Oklahoma’s K-12 schools from teaching several concepts associated with Critical Race Theory, including that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex,” that “an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive,” or that individuals “should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex.”

HB 1775 went into effect on July 1, but state agency regulations that will guide its implementation have not yet been approved by the State Board of Education. As chair of that board, Hofmeister sets the agenda for the group, which will convene next week.

“Teachers deserve clear guidelines when they start this school year so they can obey the law created by the passage of House Bill 1775,” said Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore and an author of HB 1775. “To delay the implementation of rules that follow the intent of the legislation is a disservice to students, parents, and educators, causing needless fear and confusion over what is allowed and disallowed in our public-school classrooms.”

HB 1775’s other author—Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant—separately called on Hofmeister to address agency rules a day prior.

As of publication, Hofmeister had yet to publicly respond.

Since HB 1775 was signed into law, some Oklahoma teachers and administrators have publicly vowed to ignore the law, and the National Education Association, the parent group of Oklahoma’s largest teachers’ union, has publicly endorsed use of Critical Race Theory in public-school classrooms.

Sixty of the 82 Republicans in the Oklahoma House of Representatives are now calling for action, including House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka and other top members of House leadership.

In the Senate, 18 of 39 Republicans have called on Hofmeister to act.

Along with West and Bullard, the lawmakers calling on Hofmeister to act are as follows:

• Rep. Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon

• Rep. Steve Bashore, R-Miami

• Rep. Jeff Boatman, R-Tulsa

• Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow

• Rep. Ty Burns, R-Pawnee

• Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid

• Rep. Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle

• Rep. Rusty Cornwell, R-Vinita

• Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont

• Rep. Bob Ed Culver, R-Tahlequah

• Rep. Eddy Dempsey, R-Valliant

• Rep. Sheila Dills, R-Tulsa

• Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene

• Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City

• Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow

• Rep. Avery Frix, R-Muskogee

• Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola

• Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton

• Rep. David Hardin, R-Stilwell

• Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin

• Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang

• Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane

• Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus

• Rep. Dell Kerbs, R-Shawnee

• Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore

• Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber

• Rep. Robert Manger, R-Oklahoma City

• Rep. T.J. Marti, R-Broken Arrow

• Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond

• Rep. Stan May, R-Broken Arrow

• Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore

• Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka

• Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow

• Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond

• Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee

• Rep. Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa

• Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland

• Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond

• Rep. Kenton Patzkowsky, R-Balko

• Rep. John Pfeiffer, R-Orlando

• Rep. Randy Randleman, R-Eufaula

• Rep. Eric Roberts, R-Oklahoma City

• Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy

• Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay

• Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell

• Rep. Lonnie Sims, R-Jenks

• Rep. David Smith, R-Arpelar

• Rep. Chris Sneed, R-Fort Gibson

• Rep. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany

• Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon

• Rep. Wendi Stearman, R-Collinsville

• Rep. Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh

• Rep. Tammy Townley, R-Ardmore

• Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-Owasso

• Rep. Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston

• Rep. Rick West, R-Heavener

• Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City

• Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole

• Rep. Max Wolfley, R-Oklahoma City

• Sen. Mark Allen, R-Spiro

• Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair

• Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard

• Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville

• Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain

• Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee

• Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow

• Sen. Jake Merrick, R-Yukon

• Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt

• Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle

• Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond

• Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa

• Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer

• Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman

• Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah

• Sen. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole

• Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore