| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 4/25/2002 11:33:45 AM Christopher J. Klicka, Esq., Senior Counsel of HSLDA Florida--Government Nanny Bill is Back, Calls Urgently Needed |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- April 25, 2002 Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, The Government Nanny bill is back and we are still reeling from the news. In a backdoor move, the Government Nanny bill was attached to S.B. 1844 (an economic development bill) at the eleventh hour and passed by both the senate and the house. Many house members, who had earlier rejected the Government Nanny bill when it stood alone, voted for S.B. 1844, unaware that the Government Nanny bill was added on at the last minute. It is now on the Governor's desk. Last year, home schoolers almost single-handedly convinced Governor Jeb Bush to veto the Government Nanny bill. We can do it again if we act fast. S.B. 1844 creates a new big government program called "Learning Gateway," which will "provide systematic hospital visits or home visits by trained staff to new mothers." If this bill becomes law, it will lay the foundation for transforming Florida into a "government nanny state" by greatly increasing the power of the government over children and reducing parents' rights. REQUESTED ACTION IMMEDIATELY call the office of Governor Jeb Bush at 850-488-7146 and deliver this message: "Concerned parents want Governor Bush to veto S.B. 1844. This bill creates a big government program that will invade family privacy, usurp the role of parents, and waste taxpayer money. This bill goes against everything the governor stands for." You do not need to identify yourself as a home schooler. Opposition calls must come in between April 25 and May 2. The Governor can sign or veto this bill at any time. Although phone calls are the most effective form of getting your message to Governor Bush, you may also want to e-mail him at jeb@MYFL.com. BACKGROUND S.B. 1844 is an economic development bill that has nothing to do with early education. Yet Senate Majority leader John McKay slipped his Government Nanny bill (formerly S.B. 88) into S.B. 1844. Therefore, S.B. 1844 is now the vehicle to create a new government program called Learning Gateway and will involve "developing strategies for offering hospital visits or home visits by trained staff to new mothers." The purpose of Learning Gateway is to screen children from birth to age 9 for "biological, environmental, and behavioral risks," and "learning problems." Furthermore, Learning Gateway providers will conduct "intake with families," conduct "needs/strength-based assessments of families," and "make referrals for needed services" and "developmental monitoring." This will all be done in collaboration with the Florida Department of Children and Family Services and numerous other big government agencies and programs. Some additional reasons Home School Legal Defense Association opposes the S.B. 1844: 1) S.B. 1844 mandates automatic referrals of high-risk newborns to the local Learning Gateway through the Office of Vital Statistics. Who determines what is considered high risk? There is no parental consent required for this referral. What happens if the parent chooses not to follow up on this referral? 2) S.B. 1844 directs that screening processes be developed and tested to address social/emotional/behavioral indicators which could be a sign of future problems. Will the Florida Department of Children and Families take the child away if the parent chooses to follow his own doctor's advice instead of the government's? 3) S.B. 1844 requires that an electronic data system be developed to track children who are screened, assessed, and referred for services. Will mom and dad be able to remove the child from the government programs if the initial screening is done without parent's consent? 4) S.B. 1844 creates a huge, expensive bureaucracy, with the intent of expanding the program statewide. The pilot project is $6 million the first year for only three counties---what will it cost taxpayers to fund this program for the whole state? Please urge Governor Bush to veto this bill. Thank you for standing with us for liberty. Sincerely, Christopher Klicka HSLDA Senior Counsel {{JoinAd}} ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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