On Tuesday, the Idaho House voted 55-14 to pass a House Concurrent Resolution aimed at adding Idaho history and government questions to the state’s existing civics test.
Rep. Bryan Zollnger, R-Idaho Falls, pushed HCR 14. Zollinger’s resolution calls on the State Board of Education to add 25 Idaho questions (or at least 20 percent of the test) to the civics test students must pass in order to graduate high school.
The test is based on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s citizenship test.
Zollinger said the Idaho-based questions will lead to a more informed electorate and inspire enthusiasm for Idaho civics, history and government.
Opponents of the resolution said the state already requires students to take too many tests. Opponents also said designing curriculum and writing 25 new questions for the test will create a new burden for overworked educators.
HCR 14 next heads to the Senate for consideration.
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