State senators spar over requiring citizenship test as high school graduation hurdle

[turbinetree]

2019 Indiana General Assembly

Daniel Carden
Statehouse Bureau Chief

Jan 27, 2019 Updated 1 hr ago

INDIANAPOLIS — The frustration is real for state Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, and state Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Centerville.

Few people in their legislative districts seem to know what a state senator does, and others believe they work in Washington, D.C.

To try to change that, Kruse and Raatz on Thursday led the Republican-controlled Senate in approving a plan to require all Indiana students to pass the U.S. citizenship exam typically administered to immigrants to earn a high school diploma.

"Constituents don't know that we're state senators; we don't belong in Washington, D.C," Raatz said. "I'm not being critical of them; they just don't understand the system."

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/state-senators-spar-over-requiring-citizenship-test-as-high-school/article_94811799-510b-5d01-adc6-41e1c5b8899b.html

[Squinch]

1. I totally support this. No one is taught how our government

works

We should bring back civics classes.

.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Just as long as elected officials have to take it too. NT

[nycbos]

3. This seems like an interesting idea.

[vlyons]

4. I agree completely

I had to take a mandatory Civics class in high school and pass it to graduate. It was boring, taught by a boring teacher, but I learned something.

[SoCalNative]

5. We had a mandatory US Government class

(same thing, basically) that was required as a senior and to graduate. When did this stop be a requirement in the curriculum? I graduated in 1981 and classmates who graduated after me also had to take the class.

[kimbutgar]

6. Yes all Americans need to take a citizenship test before they vote.

Or at least have a basic understanding of the three branches of government. I was around during the bicentennial and learning a lot about our country. Or at least show schoolhouse rock about how government works.

That said I applaud these senators for introducing this idea. Naturalized citizens know more about our government than Native born Americans.

[LongtimeAZDem]

7. We have that here; I fully support it.