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From the HSLDA E-lert Service...
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May 16, 2007
HSLDA: Urgent Update on Protecting Grassroots
Lobbying from Federal Control: More Calls Needed
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 Judiciary Committee action that we told you about last week
was cancelled at the last minute. It has been rescheduled for
tomorrow, Thursday, May 18, at 10:30 a.m. At this meeting, the
Judiciary Committee will take action on H.R. 2316, the House Lobbying
Reform Bill. It is very likely that two other bills will be
introduced as amendments: H.R. 2093
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4116 and H.R. 984
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4117 .
These bills would threaten 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.
ACTION REQUESTED
Please call your U.S. Representative today and urge him or her to vote
against H.R. 984, "The Executive Branch Reform Act of 2007," and H.R.
2093, "A Bill to amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995" if they
are brought up as amendments to H.R. 2316, the lobbying reform bill.
Your message can be as simple as, "As Congress takes 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.
984, H.R. 2093, 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 .
Please note that the following Representatives on the House Judiciary
Committee have told us that they will vote against these bills. If
your Representative is listed below it is not necessary to call;
however, please feel free to send an email thanking the Representative
for opposing these bills:
Rep. Trent Franks [AZ-2]
Rep. Jim Jordan [OH-4]
Rep. Dan Lungren [CA-3]
Rep. Tom Feeney [FL-24]
BACKGROUND
The House Judiciary Committee plans to consider H.R. 2316, "The Honest
Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007" on Thursday. This bill is
a bipartisan bill and contains much-needed congressional reforms.
However, some representatives may offer as amendments two additional
bills which are very problematic: H.R. 984, "The Executive Branch
Reform Act of 2007," and H.R. 2093, "A Bill to amend the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995." It is likely that H.R. 2316 will 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.
HSLDA opposes both of these bills that could be offered as amendments,
H.R. 984 and H.R. 2093, as they will increase regulation on entities
who urge citizens to call their elected officials. H.R. 2093 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 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=4118 .
Thank you for standing for liberty.
Sincerely,
J. Michael Smith
President, HSLDA
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-> How many of your friends would pay your legal fees?
As a member of HSLDA, you have 80,000 families standing with you
to protect and advance homeschool freedoms in the United States
and foreign countries.
More reasons to join HSLDA...
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1106
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Home School Legal Defense Association
P.O. Box 3000
Purcellville, Virginia 20134
Phone: (540) 338-5600
Fax: (540) 338-2733
Email: info@hslda.org
Web: http://www.hslda.org
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