One of the US states will introduce a compulsory citizenship test for school graduates

The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a law requiring state students to take a U.S. citizenship test to graduate from public school, writes Newsweek.

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Bill HB 2030, drafted by spokesman Terry O'Donnell, will require students to take part of the U.S. naturalization test in order to complete upper secondary education in the 2022/23 school year. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives with 80-18 votes and will now be considered in the Senate.

“Unfortunately, too many of our students graduate without a basic understanding of how our country was founded or how our system of government works,” O'Donnell said in a statement. “The legislation will help correct this, leading to a more engaged and informed electorate in the future.”

According to the lawmaker, the bill will require the inclusion of the study of historical documents such as the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation in the curriculum in Oklahoma public schools.

In a video posted on Facebook, O'Donnell explained that his proposal for the bill was received at the request of a voter.

“Last year, I noticed that high school students have poor civics and government skills and that we rank fifth in voter turnout among 18-24 year olds in the state of Oklahoma,” O'Donnell said in the video. “A constituent contacted me about introducing an immigration and naturalization test in high school as a high school graduation test, as all aliens who enter our country do to become U.S. citizens.”

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The bill requires students to "score a minimum of 60 points to pass this exam before graduation."

“This is not a very high bar for the young people who will become part of our workforce and our communities, and who will become future voters and perhaps even members of our government agencies,” O'Donnell said.

Several other states have passed legislation similar to Oklahoma's HB 2030 bill, he noted in a statement. According to a 2018 report by the Center for American Progress, 16 other states require a civil law exam to complete a degree.

Democratic Representative Emily Virginia was one of the few who voted against the bill.

“While I believe it is important for students to learn about how our government works, I voted against this bill and want to explain why,” she wrote on Facebook. “First of all, all these concepts are already taught in our schools. This bill simply adds another standardized test and another hurdle before our students can receive an education. This is a multiple choice test that lends itself to rote memorization. Second, I couldn’t help but think about the hypocrisy in this legislature requiring students to take a test that includes concepts that we ourselves do not follow.”

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She added that "one of the questions in the tests concerns the powers of the judiciary, and the correct answer includes the right of the judiciary to decide whether a law is contrary to the constitution."

“Just last week, however, the House majority party passed legislation stating that we, as a state legislature, have the power to declare actions of the federal government unconstitutional (HB 1236),” Virgin wrote.

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