| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 5/24/2002 5:06:40 PM Christopher J. Klicka, Esq., Senior Counsel of HSLDA Florida: Government Nanny Bill Takes Another Turn! |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- May 24, 2002 Dear Florida Members and Friends, Good news and bad news! The bad news is that Governor Jeb Bush signed S.B. 1844, to which the Senate had attached the "government nanny" bill at the eleventh hour. Because S.B. 1844 was the governor's own economic development bill, he felt obligated to sign it despite his objections to the attachment. The good news is that HSLDA talked with William Ammons who works closely with Governor Bush. Ammons told us that the governor is leaning toward using his line-item veto authority to strike out all funding for the main "government nanny" provision, the Learning Gateway program, rendering it an empty shell. Without money, the program cannot be implemented. Ammons wants Floridians to email him their objections, and he has promised to deliver them to Governor Bush as the governor makes his decision on line-item vetoes over the next week and a half. We need your emails one more time. William Ammons remembered that Governor Bush received over 600 emails last year that encouraged him to veto this big government program. Let's do it again! REQUESTED ACTION Home schoolers almost single handedly persuaded Governor Bush to veto the "government nanny" bill last year. We need to do this again. IMMEDIATELY email William Ammons in Governor Bush's office at william.ammons@laspbs.state.fl.us and deliver this message in your own words: "Concerned parents want Governor Bush to line-item veto funding for the Learning Gateway program that was attached to S.B. 1844. We believe the Learning Gateway program is an unnecessary 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. Governor Bush will be making his decision within the next week and a half, so do not delay. BACKGROUND In a backdoor move, Senate Majority leader John McKay slipped his "government nanny" bill (formerly S.B. 88) into S.B. 1844, an economic development bill. McKay accomplished this at the eleventh hour and the bill passed 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. Many parents have called Governor Jeb Bush expressing opposition to S.B. 1844 and requesting that he veto the bill. The governor's office responded that the bill that was passed as an amendment to S.B. 1844 is significantly different than last year's "government nanny" bill that Governor Bush vetoed. A close examination of the bill by HSLDA staff revealed only minor technical changes. Some of the threatening language had been removed, but the bill was largely unchanged and would still greatly increase the power of the government over children at the expense of parents' rights. We have sent Governor Bush several reasons why he should veto S.B. 1844: 1) If this bill becomes law, it will lay the foundation for transforming Florida into a "government nanny state." It will cause unnecessary big government intervention and constitutes a massive invasion of family privacy. 2) 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." Such visits by government officials are intimidating and will traumatize many innocent families. 3) S.B. 1844 requires that an electronic data system be developed to track children who are screened, assessed, and referred for services. Will parents be able to remove the child from the government programs once the initial screening is done without their 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 Senior Counsel {{JoinAd}} ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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