Bill would direct Ohio school districts to post Pledge of Allegiance policy online

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Lawmakers say the Statehouse should pass a bill directing schools to make their Pledge of Allegiance policy public because "not all schools and classrooms in Ohio are currently learning or reciting the pledge."

House Bill 657 received a hearing in the Ohio House Primary and Secondary Education Committee on Dec. 3, and would require each district to make its pledge policy accessible on the district website. Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), the bill's primary sponsor, said she's heard a request from her constituents "to ensure we recognize how fortunate we are to live in America."

"Ohioans are concerned that we are losing our identity as a nation, a nation that is full of opportunity, freedom, and justice for all," said Richardson during the hearing. "As a member of the U.S. Armed Forces for most of my life, I believe in defending the principles and values that formed our remarkable country."

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1943 that students cannot be forced to recite the pledge if doing so goes against their religion. Still, Richardson argued that the pledge teaches students to respect the U.S., building "unity and nationalism by affirming our commitment to our values." The lawmaker noted that the bill would not require any educator to teach the pledge.

Rep. Gail Pavliga (R-Portage County), the bill's other primary sponsor, said H.B. 657 is "the kind of direct, straight to the point, sort of legislation that works." The lawmaker said those districts that don't have a website would need to make their policy available through other means.

"This is not a mandate forcing school districts to comply with a particular policy; rather, it is a way for the parents in each school district to know what policy their school has decided to implement," said Pavliga. "Parents are the ones paying taxes to these school districts, and they have the right to know whether or not the [pledge] is recited."

Rep. Jodi Whitted (D-Madeira) asked during the hearing if Pavliga and Richardson had heard from parents who were unable to find their local school's pledge policy, and what the penalty would be for a district that does not comply.

While they didn't receive requests for this exact bill, Pavliga said they felt "the time was right to be able to have it out there" given they were "shocked by the fact that the school system might have a policy in place, but they weren't required to publish it." The lawmaker said there wouldn't be a penalty or timeline, but that the bill could be amended to include those provisions.

Pavliga also recently introduced a bill that would prohibit Ohio's 14 public universities from using "any application for student admission that asks for, or contains a field in which an applicant may indicate, an applicant’s preferred gender pronouns." She argues asking for pronoun usage "distinguishes groups based on their political ideology."