By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed two bills that would have changed the school curriculum in Kansas.
"One of them would have created a requirement that students at some point take a civics test that would be drawn from the U.S. naturalization test in order to graduate from high school," said Mark Tallman, Vice President for Advocacy with the Kansas Association of School Boards. "It did not require any particular passing score. It was amended to also require that all students take a course in personal financial literacy to graduate from high school."
It's not necessarily that either of those ideas are wrong, but that the legislature is the wrong venue to have the discussion.
"In both cases, the State Board felt that was stepping on their Constitutional role, which they believe and courts have indicated, although it's not black and white, have responsibility for kind of setting curriculum," Tallman said. "There were also concerns from local school boards who I represent, about these also kind of addressing curriculum issues at the local level."
These and the other bills vetoed by the governor can still be overridden when the legislature returns in May, if they can get the necessary support.
Number one, it will have to be brought up for an override," Tallman said. "In that case, two-thirds of both the House and Senate must approve the bill. I don't think any of them got two-thirds of either house the first time through."
Both houses are adjourned until Monday, May 3 at 10 a.m.