Democrats want to expand high school government bill

Thursday, March 25, 1999 | 10:30 a.m.

The Democrats say James' SB285 doesn't go far enough, and should be expanded to include, among other things, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 and the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr.

Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, said he and other Democrats believe the information taught in government classes should be left to the discretion of the teachers.

But if the Legislature is going to dictate subject matter, however, then these important documents should be added to the list, he added.

James said his intent was to have the Legislature make a statement that documents such as Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" and the Emancipation Proclamation are fundamentally important parts of American history and should be emphasized in every government class.

James added his proposed list is not meant to be exclusive.

"I would venture to say, although I haven't had a chance to look at it carefully, that everything on that list is a good thing for kids to learn about," he said.

The list proposed by the Democrats includes "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, the Mayflower Compact, several U.S. Supreme Court decisions including Scott vs. Sandford, and the Ruby Valley Treaty of 1863.

State law now requires instruction in American government and requires that the instruction include the U.S. and Nevada constitutions.