Committee introduces bill to revise high school civics training and testing

Representative Michael Wisniewski introduced RS32567 to the House Committee on Education, asking the committee to introduce legislation that would place new civics training requirements into state code and change certain test questions used in public high schools.

The bill would remove reliance on many items modeled on the U.S. naturalization test and instead require test content the sponsor described as more pertinent to government and civics. "It doesn't help the student to know that Eisenhower served as a general in the Second World War," Representative Michael Wisniewski said, arguing that trivia-style questions and geographic items do not give students a sense of civics. He also noted that the naturalization test is graded at a 60% passing threshold for new citizens, a standard he suggested is not appropriate for the proposed high-school civics requirements.

The measure was introduced formally after a motion by Representative Hawkins. The committee voted to introduce RS32567; the record shows the committee voice vote as "aye" and the chair declared the motion carried.

No public testimony or amendments were recorded during the committee introduction. Committee members asked no substantive follow-up questions before the motion to introduce passed.

The sponsor indicated he was available for questions and the RS was placed on the committee's docket for further work as appropriate.