| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/6/2003 2:44:13 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Texas--More Calls Needed to Defeat Bill to Regulate Homeschoolers |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- March 6, 2003 Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, Thank you for your time and effort spent protecting homeschool freedom! Many of you have responded to our elert of Feb. 28 notifying you of Senate Bill 586. This bill would require all homeschoolers to be registered with the state commissioner of education and would open the door for further regulations. The bill states: "A home-schooled child is exempt under Subsection (a)(1) only if the child's parent or guardian provides to the commissioner written acknowledgment on a form adopted by the commissioner that the parent or guardian accepts complete responsibility for adequately teaching the child based on a curriculum designed to meet basic education goals." Texas homeschoolers enjoy the greatest liberty to homeschool of virtually all the states. Senator Gonzalo Barrientos (the sponsor of S.B. 586) is offering to amend the bill, but no amendment would be satisfactory since it would involve some limit on the freedom of homeschoolers. Unlike many other states, homeschoolers in Texas have the clear blessing and protection of a landmark Texas Supreme Court case. There is no need to compromise. HSLDA's Texas Legislative Counsel Tom Sanders visited Senator Barrientos' office and he learned that the senator has received over 1,000 calls and 1,000 emails from homeschoolers expressing their opposition to the bill. We encourage you to continue to contact Senator Barrientos. While no action has been taken on the bill so far, we want to make sure to send the message that Texas homeschoolers are opposed to any change in the law. A lieutenant with the Houston Police Department recently emailed Senator Barrientos. His email clearly explained why S.B. 586 is unnecessary to address their concerns over truancy in the public school system. "I am a lieutenant with the Houston Police Department, and I have on occasion been called upon to enforce truancy laws. The regular offenders are often rebellious, anti-parent, anti-police, and anti- authority. Often this attitude can be attributed to parents who are apathetic toward their children's education and welfare. This is in stark contrast to the homeschooled juveniles I meet, the vast majority of whom are very respectful of parents, police, and other authorities. "Requiring homeschooling families to register is an expenditure of limited resources that misses the problem it seeks to address. We in government should direct our efforts against parents who are apathetic towards and un-involved in their children's education. Ironically, this bill mistakenly targets those parents who have expressed the greatest concern and involvement in their children's education. "I have spent 20 years in law enforcement, and I have had to take many runaways, truants, and juvenile delinquents into custody. In those same 20 years I cannot remember ever needing to arrest a homeschooled child. I commend you for your desire to solve truancy problems, and for your other efforts to make our state a better place to live. However, I oppose any (even well-intentioned) laws that have the effect of harassing homeschooling families, who have proven to be some of the most patriotic law-abiding citizens I have encountered in my years of law enforcement." Please continue calling and emailing Senator Barrientos' office. For more information on this bill visit our website at: http://www.hslda.org/Legislation/State/tx/2003/TXSB586/default.asp . For Christ and liberty, Chris 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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