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House panel approves resolution encouraging instruction in cursive handwriting
Summary
House Joint Resolution 36, a nonbinding resolution that encourages school districts to provide cursive instruction, passed the committee after brief testimony from OPI staff and the Board of Public Education. The resolution is advisory and does not mandate instructional minutes.
House Joint Resolution 36 asks Montana school districts to encourage cursive instruction for students. Representative Wirth opened the brief hearing describing perceived benefits of cursive instruction; Katie Bloodgood of the Office of Public Instruction testified the negotiated rule‑making process has included cursive in the proposed standards at second grade. Few opponents or outside witnesses appeared at the hearing.
Committee discussion focused on local control and instructional priorities. Several members said the resolution is nonbinding and would not mandate instructional time or supplant district judgment; others noted that curricular decisions are best left to local districts and teachers. The committee approved the resolution by roll‑call vote, 14–1.
Because HJ 36 is a resolution rather than an act, it expresses the committee’s encouragement rather than imposing regulatory requirements.
