| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 10/16/2007 2:04:42 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Kentucky--Action needed on Driver's License Regulation Proposal |
|
====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== October 16, 2007 Kentucky--Action needed on Driver's License Regulation Proposal Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: We need your help to let the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet know that their proposed regulation to change the compliance verification procedures for a minor to get a driver's license is unacceptable. The Cabinet recently proposed changing the regulation to require homeschoolers to get the signature of their local Director of Pupil Personnel (DPP) or No Pass/No Drive district representative before their 16- and 17-year-old students can get drivers' licenses. In the past, homeschool parents could simply provide a signed statement that their child was successfully participating in their homeschool program. This was submitted to their circuit court clerk in order for their child to obtain a driver's license. Since this law became effective August 1, HSLDA has heard numerous complaints across the state from homeschooling families. Several have already been told by their DPP that in order to get their consent and signature on the necessary paperwork, the family would have to meet with the DPP so he could review their homeschool program, including their scholarship and attendance records. We are concerned that if this regulation is passed requiring the signature of the DPP or No Pass/No Drive representative, many families will be forced to decide between allowing the local school district to review their homeschool program in detail or having their child wait until they are 18 to get their driver's license. Please write a respectfully worded letter to the Transportation Cabinet opposing the proposed regulation. If you live around Frankfort, please consider attending the public hearing on the regulation change on October 23, 2007. If you would like to comment on the regulation at the hearing, you need to fax a written notice of your intent to testify no later than today, October 16, 2007, to (502) 564-5238. Please forward this email to any homeschool friends who may not already receive it. REQUESTED ACTION: 1) Please write a respectfully worded letter to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet opposing the proposed regulation. In your own words please tell the Cabinet: "I am opposed to the proposed amendments to 601 KAR 13:070. Parents have a constitutionally protected right to direct their children's education. Home-based private schools in Kentucky must be treated equally with all other private schools for the purpose of school verification and attendance. The statement of a home-based private school parent should be sufficient, and no signature by the local Director of Pupil Personnel or the No Pass/No Drive District representative should be required. In the past, home-based private schools would submit a form to verify the compliance of a student enrolled in their school. This is what I support." Please send your letter to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as soon as possible to: Dana Fugazzi Staff Attorney, Transportation Cabinet Office of Legal Services 200 Mero Street, Station: W6-21-02 Frankfort, KY 40622 However you contact the Transportation Cabinet, please make sure to be respectful in your expression of your opposition to these proposed amendments. Your good impression can help get this regulation changed. 2) Please come to the public hearing on the proposed regulation on October 23, 2007, if you live around Frankfort. The hearing is scheduled to be heard at 10 a.m. in Hearing Room C121 at the Transportation Cabinet Office Building on 200 Mero Street in Frankfort. A parking map can be found here: http://www.transportation.ky.gov/TOB_Map.pdf . 3) If you plan on attending the public hearing, please consider signing up to speak in opposition to this regulation. Christian Home Educators of Kentucky will be speaking at the hearing, but the more we get to sign up to speak, the better off we will be. Please fax the following statement to Dana Fugazzi at (502) 564-5238: "I wish to be heard at the public hearing for the proposed amendment to 601 KAR 13:070 that is scheduled for October 23, 2007, at 10 a.m. in Hearing Room C121 in the Transportation Cabinet Office Building. If you need any additional information my name is: (Include your name and phone number here)" 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 driver's license, unless the local school district had an alternative educational program available. The intent of the law was to not to punish students who lived in public school districts that do a poor job of teaching. The Kentucky legislature amended and passed the No Pass/No Drive statute in the 2007 legislative session. This statute had been ruled unconstitutional by the Kentucky Supreme Court back in 2003. This statute was reauthorized by House Bill 32 and became effective August 1, 2007. 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 . If you would like to be put on our free email list to receive vital e-lerts 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> You can only do so much... No one can be everywhere at once. And you can't be at home, teaching your children, while monitoring your state's legislature. Through electronic legislative services, HSLDA is monitoring state legislation for you -- watching and listening carefully for any proposed laws that could erode your right to homeschool. Join HSLDA today-we'll watch out for your future. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1942 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How To Subscribe: - Subscribe to the HSLDA E-lert Service at our website: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe - Or send an email with name and complete mailing address to: subscribe@hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscription Information: - You subscribed to the HSLDA E-lert Service as: ##ToAddress## - To unsubscribe from the HSLDA E-lert Service send an email from the email address you want to unsubscribe to: unsubscribe@hslda.org - To change your email address or make other changes to your subscription, visit the HSLDA E-lert Service account web page at: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTMASTERS: This message is being sent to the most recent address we have for our subscribers. If this is an invalid email address or you have other problems, please reply to webmaster@hslda.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: This is considered a private and confidential message from HSLDA to its bonafide HSLDA E-lert Service subscribers. HSLDA cannot attest to the authenticity of copies posted, forwarded, or sent by any party other than HSLDA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please do not reply or otherwise use this email address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any email sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send email to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also email staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
