| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 1/30/2006 2:47:16 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Kentucky--Calls Needed to Oppose Driver's License Bill |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== January 30, 2006 Dear HSLDA members and friends: We need your calls to the Senate Education Committee to prevent parents having to provide attendance and academic records in order for their 16 and 17-year-old students to obtain a driver's license. House Bill 51 would reinstate the "No pass, No drive" law that the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in 2003. Under this law, if a public school student who is 16 or 17 drops out of public school, or is deemed to be "academically deficient," he or she will lose their driver's license. Any student who is withdrawn from the public school to avoid this provision of the law would also lose their license. However, the greater concern for homeschool families is that H.B. 51 adds a requirement that a parent must release their minor student's attendance and academic records in order for them to obtain and keep a driver's license. This will require all homeschoolers to prove that their 16 and 17-year-old children are attending their private homeschool and that they are doing well academically. This bill has been sent to the Senate Education Committee so we need your calls now to stop this bill. Please send this to any concerned family and friends. Action Requested: Please call and/or email all of the Senate Education Committee members listed below and give them this message: "Please oppose House Bill 51. This bill punishes students who live in underperforming school districts. House Bill 51 also places the burden on parents to prove that their children are in school and doing well before they can get a driver's license. As a parent I am opposed to this. Until all school districts provide an adequate opportunity for students to learn in a public or nonpublic setting, this bill should be defeated." Do not identify yourself as a homeschooler; instead you can identify yourself as a concerned parent and taxpayer. Education Committee Members Senator Ken Winters (R), Chairman Home Phone: 270-759-5751 E-mail: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/s001.htm Senator Vernie McGaha (R), Vice Chairman Home Phone: 270-866-3068 E-mail: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/s015.htm Senator Walter Blevins (D) Office Phone: 606-743-1212 Home Phone: 606-743-1200 E-mail: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/S027.htm Senator Brett Guthrie (R) Office Phone: 270-781-0049 Home Phone: 270-781-5597 E-mail: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/S032.htm Senator Alice Kerr (R) Office Phone: 859-223-3274 E-mail: alice.kerr@lrc.ky.gov Senator Gerald Neal (D) Office Phone: 502-584-8500 Home Phone: 502-778-1178 E-mail: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/S033.htm Senator R.J. Palmer II (D) Home Phone: 859-737-2945 Office Phone: 859-745-7604 E-mail: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/S028.htm Senator Tim Shaughnessy (D) Office Phone: 502-584-1920 E-mail: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/s019.htm Sen. Gary Tapp (R) Home Phone: 502-829-9220 E-mail: gary.tapp@lrc.ky.gov Senator Johnny Ray Turner (D) Home Phone: 606-377-6962 E-mail: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/S029.htm Senator Jack Westwood (R) Home Phone: 859-344-6154 E-mail: jack.westwood@lrc.ky.gov Senator David L. Williams (R) Office Phone: 270-864-5636 E-mail: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/S016.htm Background: The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Kentucky Revised Statutes sec. 159.051 unconstitutional because the "No pass, No drive" law would not revoke a 16 or 17-year-old's drivers license unless the local school district had an alternative educational program available. The intent of the law was to avoid punishing students who live in public school districts that did a poor job of teaching. When House Bill 51 was introduced earlier this month it originally stated that students who are withdrawn from public school to be homeschooled with the intent of avoiding being classified as academically deficient would still lose their licenses. Working with Christian Home Educators of Kentucky, we were able to amend the bill to state "nonpublic schools" instead of "home schools." The addition of the requirement that a driver's license application for a 16 or 17-year-old include a release by the parent for the attendance and academic records of that student was made along with that amendment. We are concerned that this will require homeschool parents to prove that their child is enrolled in a private homeschool program and provide some demonstration of their academic progress in order to get a driver's license. This is unacceptable, and therefore, House Bill 51 must be defeated. If you are not yet a member of HSLDA and would like to help us fight for greater homeschool freedom in Kentucky please visit http://www.hslda.org/join/apply.asp . From now until March 18 you can save an additional $15 to $30 if you join or renew online. If you would like to be put on our free e-mail list to receive vital elerts you may sign up at https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe . Thank you for your part in fighting for freedom in Kentucky. Sincerely, Thomas Schmidt HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Is customer service an art or a science? For us, good customer service is both an art and a science -it should appeal to our members and be effective. Consider what our members say about us: We're thankful for the support HSLDA membership provides us. We'd never homeschool without them. We highly recommend HSLDA to all homeschoolers. - North Tonawanda, NY I cannot imagine our homeschool journey without HSLDA's strong leadership, protection, and guidance. God bless HSLDA! - Alta Loma, California More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1940 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
