Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed a bill last month that high school students do not have to prove they can read, write, or do math before they graduate.
Senate Bill 744, which was passed in June and signed into law last month, suspends the proficiency requirements for students for three years, the Washington Examiner reported.
According to the Oregonian, Brown signed Senate Bill 744 privately and did not issue a news release on July 14, but wasn't added to the state's database until July 29, which isn't the norm.
Secretary of the Senate Lori Brocker, whose office is responsible for updating the legislative database, told the Washington Examiner that the bill wasn't uploaded to the database due to a staffer being out with medical issues during those 15 days.
Supporters of the bill say the existing skills were an unfair challenge to students who did not test well.
In an email to the media outlets, Charles Boyle, a spokesman for the governor, said the new standards for graduation would help benefit the state’s "Black, Latino, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color."
An ABC affiliate reported that in March 2020, the requirement was suspended as part of Brown's Stay Home, Save Lives order.
According to the Washington Examiner, Democrats have come out in favor of the bill's proposed expansion, but Republicans have come out against it, claiming it lowers academic standards.