A bill specifying what North Carolina high school students must be taught about the principles behind the founding of the United States has two local experts on America’s early history scratching their heads.

The bill got final approval Sept. 29, the day before the General Assembly finished this year’s long session, but Gov. Pat McCrory has yet to sign it. It apparently got little attention, thought there were a few mocking comments in the news media when the Senate passed an earlier version in April that appeared to endorse the gold standard for money as something high schoolers must be learn about.

The final version adds three “founding principles” to a list of 10 that state law already requires be taught in American history classes. Because of a last-minute change made in the House, the law proclaims that the same principles underlie the founding of North Carolina too.