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| Date: From: Subject: | 5/11/2007 12:17:18 PM Home School Legal Defense Association HSLDA: Calls Needed Protect Grassroots Lobbying from Federal Control |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== May 11, 2007 HSLDA: Calls Needed Protect Grassroots Lobbying from Federal Control Dear HSLDA members and friends, We urgently need you to call your U.S. Representative to resist efforts to place federal control over grassroots lobbying activity. The House of Representatives is preparing to introduce its own lobbying reform bill, and it is very likely that attempts will be made to regulate grassroots lobbying. Grassroots lobbying is the type of lobbying homeschoolers used to defeat the amendment to H.R. 6 in 1994 that could have required homeschool parents to be certified as teachers by the state. The House Judiciary Committee plans to consider the House lobbying reform bill as early as Tuesday of next week. At that time, two other bills may be introduced as amendments: H.R. 2093 http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4097 and H.R. 984 http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4098 . The Democrat leadership in the House has not released the official date of the Judiciary Committee action, but it is a strong possibility that it will happen on Tuesday, and the lobbying reform bill will very likely be voted on by the full House of Representatives as early as May 22. For that reason, we urge you to call your Representative immediately. Home School Legal Defense Association opposes both of these bills, as they will increase regulation on entities who urge citizens to call their elected officials. H.R. 2093, a bill to "Amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995," will regulate attempts to encourage citizens to contact their elected representatives, otherwise known as "grassroots lobbying." This is done by broadening the definition of a "lobbying firm" to include entities that spend, receive or agree to spend or receive $100,000 per quarter on grassroots lobbying activities. H.R. 984, the "Executive Branch Reform Act of 2007" will require over 9,000 employees in the Executive Branch to report any "significant contact" between the employee and a citizen about any official government action. Although these bills may not affect most homeschool support groups, organizations, or churches at the outset, they strike at the heart of free speech and the rights of citizens to stay informed about their government and call their elected officials. If these bills are passed, more restrictions will follow on anyone who urges citizens to call Congress, including restrictions that would severely burden homeschool support groups, organizations, and churches. Please read more about this and the victory for grassroots lobbying in the Senate at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4099 . ACTION REQUESTED Please call your U.S. Representative today and urge him or her to vote against H.R. 2093 and H.R. 984 if they are brought up as amendments to the lobbying reform bill, and to vote against any effort to restrict grassroots lobbying. Your message can be as simple as, "As Congress prepares to take up lobbying reform, please make sure that the First Amendment right of citizens to call their elected officials is protected. Please vote against H.R. 2093, H.R. 984, and any other bill that restricts grassroots lobbying." It is not necessary to identify yourself as a homeschooler. Please pass this alert on to friends and other concerned citizens and urge them to call their U.S. Representative. You can reach your U.S. Representative by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or by using our legislative toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3602 . Thank you for standing for liberty. Sincerely, J. Michael Smith President, HSLDA ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> 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: The freedom HSLDA allows me to have as I homeschool is wonderful! They handle the law and I get to dedicate the time to my daughter. - National City, CA HSLDA members since 1993, our membership is just as important to us as our children's curriculum. Thank you HSLDA for all you do on our behalf! - West Valley, NY More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1941 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
