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House passes bill repositioning civic and character education in statute after heated floor debate
Summary
House Bill 22, which repositions and reaffirms civic and character education in statute, passed after extended floor debate about scope and whether it imposes curricular mandates; supporters described it as a vision statement integrated across courses, while opponents warned of possible overreach. The measure passed 54-16.
The House approved first substitute House Bill 22 to reaffirm civic and character education as a statutory element of K–12 schooling and to reposition the language within the education code. Representative L. Christiansen, sponsor, said the bill clarifies and strengthens core principles that the code already recognizes; he described the change as a repositioning and reinforcement rather than a new funded program.
Floor debate was lengthy. Supporters argued the bill provides a roadmap and permanence for teaching civic principles, citing decline in civic participation among young people. Critics questioned how the bill would change classroom practice, whether it constituted a curricular mandate or merely a statement of principles, and raised concerns about who defines "shared values" in a diverse state. An amendment by Representative Jones to add the words "a more" before "representative democracy" failed. Representative Christiansen and supporters stressed the bill does not create a separate program but seeks to integrate civic principles into regular coursework.
After the previous-question motion and summation, the House passed the bill 54-16 and will forward the measure to the Senate.
