Gov. Northam signs bill giving students excused absence to attend civic events, protests
RICHMOND, Va. (WSET) — Gov. Northam signed a bill into law that gives students an excused absence to attend a civic event or protest.
Delegate Sam Rasoul sponsored the bill after Fairfax County Public Schools started the policy last year. He said that attending civic events and protests is the best way for students to learn.
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"Having them be engaged in the civic process will make us all better citizens and it was great to have young Republicans, young Democrats and teachers coming together to work on this bill," Rasoul said.
Delegate Wendell Walker voted against the bill. While he said he's all for students wanting to be engaged in politics, he doesn't believe students should miss school to do it.
"How many days are we going to give them out of school?" Walker said. "Young people go to school for a reason. That is to get an education and exposure."
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The Department of Education is tasked with coming up with the guidelines and what constitutes an event that students should be excused for.
