Across the States
It’s a Wrap!
The Hoosier State’s 2007 legislative session was only four months long, but it certainly was busy.
The most serious attack on homeschool freedom was Senate Concurrent Resolution 10, which would have created a committee to examine the need to establish new state homeschool guidelines. After learning of the bill, Home School Legal Defense Association contacted the sponsor and strongly urged him to drop the resolution. Thankfully, the resolution never was considered in committee.
HSLDA also actively opposed a bill that would have required any girl entering 6th grade to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Through the hard work of many homeschooling families, the HPV bill was amended to no longer require mandatory vaccination. Instead the bill will effect a statewide program to educate the public on HPVs. While public schools are required to report who is vaccinated and who isn’t, homeschooled students are exempt from being counted.
Also introduced this year were a state constitutional amendment to define marriage, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. While the marriage amendment passed the Indiana Senate by nearly a 4-1 margin, it failed to make it out of committee in the House. The House Rules Committee voted to keep the people of Indiana from voting on the marriage issue even though a majority of the committee members had supported the amendment during previous elections.
Although the Religious Freedom Restoration Act did not make it out of committee either, HSLDA will continue to work to see that greater protection for religious freedom is adopted in Indiana.
— by Thomas J. Schmidt
Printer Friendly Version
