Ohio bill would mandate daily Pledge of Allegiance in public schools
Mar. 17—A bipartisan bill pending in the Ohio House would require public schools to pick a daily time to recite the pledge of allegiance in a bid to instill patriotism in Ohio youth.
The bill, House Bill 117, would retract current law, which allows individual school districts to draw their own policies on when, and how often, to say the pledge.
H.B. 117 would then replace the stricken language with a mandate for school boards to set "a time and manner for the daily recitation of the pledge of allegiance to the flag."
The bill sets out that participation would not be compulsory for students or staff. It does, however, encourage lesson plans and forbids districts from making any alterations to the pledge's language.
Rep. Sean Brennan, D-Parma, a former civics teacher, told the Ohio House committee this week that the state's current law resulted in some districts choosing to do the pledge only on special occasions, others only once a week, and others not at all.
Republican joint sponsor Rep. Tracy Richardson, of Marysville, said districts opting not to recite the pledge "has resulted in students who simply never learn our Pledge."
"It's too bad that we have to bring this bill, right? I mean, it's too bad that they're not saying the Pledge of Allegiance in every single school every single day in the state of Ohio," Brennan said.
While both lawmakers asserted some of the 680 Ohio public school districts would need to change their policies under the bill, neither pointed out specific districts.
It's unclear if any Miami Valley districts would be impacted if the bill became law. The Dayton Board of Education, for example, already requires a daily recitation on the basis that it helps students learn of "our democratic heritage, ideals and freedom."
The bill sponsors argue a similar point.
"I truly believe in my heart that one of my duties as a school teacher was to instill a feeling of patriotic duty, unity and love of country in every one of the students I served," said Brennan. "This bill is one little way we can move that needle in the right direction of instilling a sense of patriotism in our students."
H.B. 117 has yet to receive proponent or opponent testimony in its House committee.
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