Bill to require more education in U.S. history

Jennifer Coleman

Wednesday, April 7, 1999 | 9:50 a.m.

CARSON CITY - After a 2 1/2 -hour debate Tuesday, a bill to require high school students to study the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers and other historical documents was approved 19-2 by the Nevada Senate.

Under SB285, now going to the Assembly, Nevada high school students also would study Lincoln's Gettysburg address, the Emancipation Proclamation and George Washington's farewell address. Students already must study the U.S. and Nevada constitutions.

Rejected on a party-line vote was an amendment proposed by Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, to add several additional texts to those included in the bill proposed by Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas.

"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, the Mayflower Compact, Marbury vs. Madison, Plessy vs. Ferguson, the Seneca Falls Convention and the Ruby Valley Treaty would have been in the required course of study had Coffin's amendment passed.

Arguing against the amendment, James said his bill was the victim of a political play by the Democrats, who added a "laundry list" of additional documents in a bid to sink the whole bill.

But Coffin said the items on the amendment were vital to understanding the history of the nation. He termed them "essential to make the bill a reasonable piece of legislation."

Once the amendment was defeated, on a 13-8 vote, James read a list of questions that naturalized citizens have to answer to get citizenship and said he wants high school students to be able to answer those questions too.

The documents he wants students to study are the foundation of the country, he said, adding "No one ever died for phonics" but people did go to battle over the priciples in the Declaration of Independence.

"I know we'd like to have this on our political resume that we support these things," Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, countered in urging the Senate to reject the bill and leave the details of the curriculum to teachers.

Neal and Coffin cast the only votes against the measure.

The debate on the measure cut into scheduled committee hearings just three days before those committees face a deadline to act on bills or see them sheleved for the rest of the session.