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Representatives propose Missouri‑specific civics materials; students and teachers back video and classroom resources
Summary
House bills (HB 34‑83 and HB 35‑32) ask the General Assembly to create Missouri‑specific civic education materials — potentially including videos — for public schools; sponsors and multiple educators urged teacher involvement, suggested third grade and high school targets, and estimated modest production costs.
State Representatives Rachel Prouty (District 73) and Bridal Pollitt (District 52) told the Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education they are sponsoring companion bills that would require the General Assembly to create Missouri‑specific educational materials explaining the legislative process for use in public schools.
Prouty said the materials would cover how the U.S. Constitution, Missouri’s constitution and federal and state law shape the legislative process, and would include place‑based learning and digital resources such as videos. "It will provide opportunities for civic engagement and digital resources, kinda like a video, that shows the process of how a bill becomes a law," she said.
Pollitt, who taught seventh‑grade civics for 14 years, told the committee a concise video that walks students through the steps a bill takes to reach the governor’s desk would be a useful classroom tool. "I would have loved to have been able to pull up something and say, here, we need to watch this 20 minute video to go through the process," she said.
Committee members pressed practical questions about who would oversee production, whether the bill should specify a grade level and how materials would be distributed. Both sponsors emphasized the measure directs creation of materials only; it does not mandate instruction or select a grade level. Prouty said the General Assembly could decide oversight (for example the clerk or a speaker‑appointed legislative group) and that DESE could distribute digital materials to districts.
Educators and students who testified supported the bills. Anne Aloff, a 32‑year public educator who teaches third grade, said the Missouri coloring book and other curated materials improved her instruction and that a new video and resources would be valuable. Joy Bess, Columbia Public Schools’ K–12 social studies coordinator, urged that teachers across the state be involved in developing content so materials work for both rural and urban districts.
A committee member offered a wide cost estimate during questioning — "somewhere between $5,000 and $60,000" — and sponsors said a primarily digital/video approach could reduce expense; the committee was told an official fiscal note will be prepared after the bill is reported out.
The committee received multiple supportive public comments from students and educators and indicated it would exec (work) the bill in a week.
