Senator Mark Finchem (R-AZ) has a question for Arizona's students: if you don't know where your civil rights come from, how will you know when someone tries to take them away?
That question is at the heart of SB 1572, or the Return to Civics Instruction Act, which is now sitting on Governor Katie Hobbs' (D-AZ) desk after passing the legislature.
Sponsored by Finchem, the bill would require every Arizona public school to observe "Celebrate Freedom Week," a dedicated week of instruction centered on September 17, the date the U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787.
The idea wasn't born at the Arizona Capitol; Finchem explained that a constituent brought it to him after seeing similar legislation passed in Texas, and he decided Arizona students needed the same foundation.
Under the bill, students in grades 1 through 12 would dig into the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, not just what they say, but what they meant when they were written and why they still matter.
Social studies classes would also be required to connect the Declaration to some of the biggest moments in American history: the Revolution, the abolitionist movement, the women's suffrage movement, and the country's identity as a nation of immigrants.
Higher Grade Levels
Students in grades 3 through 12 would take it a step further, reciting a passage from the Declaration of Independence during Freedom Week. Parents can opt their child out with a written request, and students with conscientious objections are also exempt.
Finchem argued that without a real understanding of the founding documents, future generations won't be equipped to protect the freedoms those documents guarantee.
"Too many students graduate without a basic understanding of the principles that shaped our nation and continue to protect our freedoms today," he said.
The bill also directs the State Board of Education to ensure schools aren't scrubbing religious references from foundational historical documents when teaching them.
Governor Hobbs has not yet indicated whether she will sign the legislation.
