As a resident of Oklahoma, it deeply matters to me that our elected or appointed officials demonstrate a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of America, our history, our government, and civics. This importance has been recently highlighted when the Oklahoma Board of Education chose to require teachers to pass a test based on the U.S. Naturalization Test – the same test potential U.S. citizens take. I firmly believe the individuals making decisions about our state's future should be held to a similar, if not higher, standard.

Therefore, I propose that within 30 days of election or appointment, members of the executive branch of the Oklahoma state government must pass a U.S. Naturalization base test or forfeit the office. This practice will ensure that the decision-makers leading our great state have adequate knowledge about the country they're sworn to serve. It's estimated that one in three Americans would fail this test if taken today; a statistic that should be a wake-up call for everyone invested in our public officials' qualifications.

This proposal is not about creating hurdles, but about nurturing a culture of informed decision-making and setting a precedent of learning about our nation within our governing bodies. We, the people of Oklahoma, deserve leaders who are aware, informed, and prepared. Let's take this step to better Oklahoma's position as a leading state in ensuring a thorough understanding of our nation's basics amongst its political leaders. Please sign this petition to make a change towards improving the quality of our representative democracy.