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Committee backs bill to expand high-school civics requirement to one credit
Summary
A bill to increase the high-school civics requirement from a half-credit to a full-credit called "American constitutional government and civics" advanced from committee after sponsor testimony and public comment, with the committee voting to recommend the bill to the full Senate.
The Education Interim Committee voted to send House Bill 381, which would change the current half-credit U.S. government requirement to a full-credit course titled "American constitutional government and civics," to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation.
Representative Walt Welton, sponsor of HB 381, told the committee the change is intended to deepen students' knowledge of constitutional government, state and local government and civic engagement. Welton quoted George Washington's remark that "a primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government" and said the bill aims to give teachers more time to cover primary documents and local civic structures. He said the proposal keeps the state's existing subject requirements while adding emphasis on primary documents and civic skills.
Senator Baldry expressed support and cited naturalization testing to underscore gaps in civic knowledge; Senator Reebie asked whether the curriculum should include more recent media and contemporary sources. Representative Welton said the bill emphasizes primary documents but that discussion of current events and media literacy could be handled in course materials and by the state school board's standards.
Committee members heard public testimony in favor and opposition. Supporters included parents, teachers and civic-education advocates who said stronger, document-based civics instruction would improve civic knowledge. Kim Ball, a high-school U.S. government teacher who testified, said she supports civics education but worried students would leave for online classes when primary-source lists are emphasized; she provided district online-enrollment numbers to the committee.
After discussion the committee moved HB 381 forward to the full body with a favorable recommendation; committee members discussed possible future statutory language to allow current materials and media literacy to be accommodated in implementation.
