| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 8/26/2002 10:36:20 AM J. Michael Smith, Esq., President of HSLDA California--Urgent Financial Support of Family Protection Ministries Needed |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- August 26, 2002 Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, Most of you know me as the President of Home School Legal Defense Association and the attorney who represents HSLDA members from California. My wife and I are also "retired" home educators, having taught our own children for 13 years. We began our home schooling journey in California and that state continues to be personally very important to me - in fact, California court cases and legislation often set legal precedents that affect our whole nation. As hard as HSLDA has worked to establish and protect our members' freedom to home school, we can't do it alone. We are deeply indebted to the equally diligent efforts each involved home schooling family and to an invaluable partner in this battle - Family Protection Ministries (FPM). Fifteen years ago, the home school leadership in California together with HSLDA, asked Roy Hanson to serve as special consultant for legislative affairs. Roy established Family Protection Ministries to serve in this capacity. FPM is the only full-time ministry in Sacramento defending both parental rights and private home schooling freedoms in our state legislature (which passes more bills each year than the U.S. Congress). FPM Director Roy Hanson, with the capable assistance of Jim Davis, daily monitors thousands of pieces of legislation in California. In addition, Roy, Jim, Mary Schofield of CHEA, and HSLDA work closely together in monitoring and interacting with the various administrative offices that can impact home schooling families. No other persons I have met are as uniquely qualified and have the successful track record Roy and Jim have for the job they do. Such people must be able to pay attention to detail in reviewing legislation, proposed regulations, and administrative actions and have the background, training, experience, and wisdom to be able to determine what legislation and proposals will be damaging to home schooling and parental freedoms. They must be dedicated to this mission and work hard on their own initiative. And together they must have the skills to strategize and organize opposition to each threat. I know Roy and Jim personally and work with them closely on a regular basis. They have demonstrated these skills consistently and with excellence. They are committed and are well respected as competent professionals. Against incredible odds, they have been used mightily by God to ensure your freedoms have remained intact. They have been there for California home educators for the last 15 years, winning important battles every year in the legislature. Just this month, a great victory was achieved when the legislature finally amended A.B.634 so that compulsory school age was not lowered to age 5 and kindergarten would not become mandatory. The positive A.B.634 amendment is very similar to and likely came from the language Roy and Jim provided to the author over a year ago after consultation with HSLDA. In addition, during this legislative session, FPM was blessed by God to lead in many other victories, including successfully defeating many dangerous bills such as: (1) A.B.804 (adding "educational neglect" to the definition of child abuse), (2) S.B. 276 (psychiatric mental health screening of all citizens, from birth till death, every four years), (3) A.B.1763 (Emergency Health Powers Act: forced treatments even if death could result and confiscation of property without due process or compensation), (4) S.B. 765 (requiring dangerous interrogation of children concerning non-health, private family matters and intrusive home visits in government health programs) and (5) S.B. 650 (a statewide daytime curfew). Passage of any one of these bills would have resulted in devastating long-term ramifications for home schooling families' rights. This session they were also able to stop A.B.102 in the California Legislature from adding "endangerment of a child's emotional well- being" as a new separate category of reporting child abuse. This definition could have allowed catastrophic misuse of the child abuse reporting system. Roy and Jim need your help now! Because contributions have taken a spring and summer slump, Roy and Jim need $8,400 additional help now, beyond the normal giving, in order for them to receive their full August and September salary. Roy and Jim also need an increase in monthly giving of about $700 a month to help meet their needs in order not to have to move out of their office space. Due to recent changes in personnel in the California Department of Education's office, its handling process for private school affidavits, and some other factors, home schoolers are facing a possible increase in harassment and attempted prosecutions. We at HSLDA will do all we possibly can to defend our members successfully. But we need to be able to work together with a strong and viable FPM to protect your freedom. You and I must ensure that Family Protection Ministries has the proper resources to be able to continue to monitor all of the legislation and to be able to mount an effective opposition to adverse legislation. Therefore, I strongly commend their work to you. Please give as generously as you can. If you are already giving, I thank you and ask you to please continue and consider increasing your financial support of this vital work. Family Protection Ministries needs families who will begin giving $15, $25, $50, or $100 a month. Roy and FPM are 100 percent dependent upon contributions from home schoolers for salary and expenses. Time is of the essence. I urge you to help now. Contributions (tax-deductible) should be made payable to Family Protection Ministries (P.O. Box 730, Lincoln, CA 95648-0730). Both monthly and annual contributions are needed and appreciated. Please pass this along to your home schooling friends and encourage them to support Family Protection Ministries. Thank you for your part in the fight to preserve the level of home education freedoms we enjoy in California. This is also an important investment in your children's and your grandchildren's future freedoms. Sincerely yours, J. Michael Smith President of HSLDA {{JoinAd}} ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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