A bill that passed out of the House of Representatives Monday would require high school students to pass the United States citizenship test in order to graduate.
House Bill 2030 would require students to correctly answer 60 out of 100 questions found on the United States' naturalization test.
The measure’s author, Republican Representative Terry O'Donnell of Catoosa, said a lack of civics knowledge has led to riots around the country, and the work to prepare for the test would prevent that.
“Unfortunately, too many of our students graduate high school without basic knowledge of how our nation was founded or how our system of government works,” O’Donnell said. “This legislation would help correct that, leading to a more engaged and informed electorate in the future.”
Democratic critics of the bill say it will add an extraneous requirement to graduation and will have no effect on the deeper issues behind unrest in the country.
The measure passed overwhelmingly along partisan lines and now moves to the Senate, where it’s co-authored by Edmond Republican Adam Pugh, chairman of that chamber’s education committee.
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