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| Date: From: Subject: | 10/11/2005 5:09:39 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Massachusetts--Calls Needed to Defend Homeschool Freedom |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Massachusetts--Calls Needed to Defend Homeschool Freedom Dear HSLDA members and friends: Since it was filed on March 25, 2005, HSLDA has been tracking Senate Bill 1907, which would "deny a driver's license to truants." We have steadfastly opposed this bill because it creates a new category previously unknown to Massachusetts law of "students enrolled in a home education program." Furthermore, homeschooled students between the ages of 16 and 18 would be forced to enroll in this undefined "program" as a condition for receiving a driver's license. Though we assume the bill was written with the best of intentions, it reveals that the legislators who drafted it do not fully understand home education. We need you to call every member of the Joint Committee on Transportation before Thursday, October 20, when that committee will meet to hear the bill. Action Requested: Please call each member of the Joint Committee on Transportation and say, "I oppose Senate Bill 1907 because it forces homeschoolers to seek school district approval for two extra years." The members of the Joint Committee on Transportation are: Senator Steven A. Baddour (617) 722-1604 Senator Harriette L. Chandler (617) 722-1544 Senator Mark C. Montigny (617) 722-1440 Senator Thomas M. Mcgee (617) 722-1350 Senator Jarrett T. Barrios (617) 722-1650 Senator James E. Timilty (617) 722-1222 Senator Robert L. Hedlund (617) 722-1646 Representative Joseph F. Wagner (617) 722-2460 Representative Brian Knuuttila (617) 722-2552 Representative Frank M. Hynes (617) 722-2552 Representative William C. Galvin (617) 722-2011 Representative Anne M. Paulsen (617) 722-2140 Representative Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. (617) 722-2692 Representative Stephen P. Leduc (617) 722-2011 Representative David Paul Linsky (617) 722-2210 Representative Stephen R. Canessa (617) 722-2460 Representative Carl M. Sciortino, Jr. (617) 722-2014 Representative Martha M. Walz (617) 722-2460 Representative Paul K. Frost (617) 722-2489 Representative Paul J.P. Loscocco (617) 722-2220 Background: S.B. 1907 was filed by two Senators and two Representatives who have no personal hostility to home education. In an effort to link driver's licenses to school attendance, they tried to address homeschooling in a way that would avoid problems. Unfortunately, they did not consult with homeschoolers prior to drafting this bill and do not appear to understand the Massachusetts homeschool law. Other states have attempted to use these methods to force unwilling children to stay in school past the compulsory attendance age of 16. Each state that has adopted this approach has generated unintended consequences for home educators. In Kentucky, for example, where the law clearly permits homeschooled students to obtain a driver's license after they turn 16, there have been reports of real truants pretending to be homeschoolers in order to be able to drive. Anything that encourages high school drop outs to pretend to be "homeschoolers" is bad for home education. S.B. 1907 will be heard by the Joint Committee on Transportation at a public hearing, which begins at 10:30 a.m. in Room A-1 of the State Capitol on Thursday, October 20, 2005. The joint committee will also hear Senate Bill 1912, a different bill, that if passed, would keep children under the age of 18 from obtaining a driver's license. HSLDA also opposes this bill, although it has no direct impact on home education. Sincerely, Scott W. Somerville HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Can you call your attorney at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning? Our members can get in touch with their attorney even after business hours, when they have a legal emergency. Wouldn't you like this level of protection? More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
