The measure allows any two State Board of Education members to place items on board agendas.

House Bill 1491, originally written by Rep. Ronny Johns (R-Ada), dealt with teacher license revocation but was shucked and replaced with the new language. In the new version, items can be placed on the agenda if requested in writing by at least two board members.

The issue came to a head at the February State Board of Education meeting, in which the board’s three new members, recently appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt, pushed back against State Superintendent Ryan Walters having the sole authority to write meeting agendas.

“Why am I here?” new board member Ryan Deatherage asked at the board meeting after a tense exchange with Walters.

Stitt appointed the new members after ousting three due to “needless political drama” and low national test scores.

A joint news release from Hilbert, Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton and Gov. Kevin Stitt said Paxton and Stitt support Hilbert’s amendment.

“No one member should unilaterally control a board, especially one that directly impacts the outcomes of our students,” Stitt said in the release.

After a 9-0 vote, the bill heads to the House floor.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond released a statement late Wednesday morning praising the bill but criticizing Stitt's pick of Walters, who began his political career in Stitt's cabinet.

"Gov. Stitt promoted and supported Superintendent Ryan Walters every step of the way, even standing by the superintendent when he gave 'blanket approval' for the misspending of our tax dollars," Drummond said in the release. "Now that his handpicked superintendent refuses to do his bidding, Gov. Stitt wants to change the law to give his appointees full control of the education agenda. First, Gov. Stitt gave us Ryan Walters, and now he wants to give us new appointees he says will be better. We can only hope."