Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond weighed in on the Oklahoma State Department of Education's stalling in the procurement of emergency inhalers for schools, sending a letter of counsel to address the matter. According to a report by OKC Fox, the Oklahoma State Department of Education has not moved forward with purchasing the inhalers despite $250,000 being appropriated for this purpose as of July 1, 2023, leading to more than a seven-month delay.
This action was prompted after State Superintendent Ryan Walters reached out to the Attorney General's Office with several questions concerning the appropriation. Walters’ inquiry, reported by KOCO, included what procurement options existed to fulfill the line-item appropriation, whether the McLarty Foundation could be selected as a sole source supplier for the inhalers, and the appropriate timing for the Oklahoma State Department of Education to pay for the emergency inhalers. The news release noted that after asking for an opinion, the Oklahoma State Department of Education announced a shift in plans, requiring school districts to purchase the inhalers and then seek reimbursement.
In Drummond's response, as detailed by KOCO, a letter of counsel was deemed sufficient "because the relevant legal principles are clear." The response came as a critique of the Oklahoma State Department of Education's delayed action, potentially impacting the safety of students with asthma by not having emergency inhalers readily available in public schools—tools that are essential in preventing deadly asthma attacks.
Lawmakers have called out the delay, with two describing the department's inaction as bureaucratic "roadblocks," as per KFOR News. Finally, firing back against the burden being shifted onto school districts, the Attorney General's Office underscored the inefficiency of this arrangement in Drummond's letter of counsel. Instead of taking advantage of potential bulk rates through direct purchasing, schools are now faced with an additional step—buying the inhalers individually and navigating a reimbursement process—a choice that could potentially lead to higher costs and further delays.
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