| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 5/5/2009 4:54:51 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Texas--Calls Still Needed to Support CPS Reform Bill |
|
====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== May 5, 2009 Texas--Calls Still Needed to Support CPS Reform Bill Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: The Human Services Committee had a public hearing for H.B. 948. The bill was left pending in committee with no vote taken. As a result we recommend that you keep calling the committee so that the pressure continues, and that it will be voted favorably out of committee. In our experience at HSLDA, Texas has some of the most aggressive social worker investigations of homeschoolers. Many times CPS workers pressure families and do not respect parental rights. This bill would provide more "checks and balances", which will protect all parents' rights during CPS investigations. These changes include: > Requires parental consent or court order for medical/psychological/psychiatric examinations of the child. > Requires the department to audio record all reports of abuse and neglect. > Requires the department to record and maintain all interviews and documents pertaining to an investigation, including original notes. > Requires the department to make written reports about a case and make those reports, as well as audio recordings, available to the person under investigation. > Requires that if the custody of the child is taken away from the parents, the child must go to a person the parents/legal guardian designate on the child placement resources form. ACTION REQUESTED Please call the House Human Services Committee members and give them this message in your own words: "Please support H.B. 948. This bill reforms the current CPS law by adding further protections of the rights of parents during a CPS investigation. Do not identify yourself as a homeschooler. Calls no longer need to be made after May 14. If the first letter of your last name begins with an A-L, then please call the first five members of this list. If your last name begins with the letters M-Z, please call the last four members on this list. House Human Services Committee Members: Chair, Rep. Patrick Rose - 512-463-0647 Vice Chair, Rep. Abel Herrero - 512-463-0462 Rep. Drew Darby - 512-463-0331 Rep. Gary Elkins - 512-463-0722 Rep. Ana Hernandez - 512-463-0614 Rep. Bryan Hughes - 512-463-0271 Rep. Ken Legler - 512-463-0460 Rep. Elliott Naishtat - 512-463-0668 Rep. Armando Walle - 512-463-0924 BACKGROUND Parental rights are under siege. Parents, in many ways, are becoming "second class citizens" as lower courts elevate the power of the state to supersede the wisdom of parents. Parental choice is in jeopardy. Freedom is at stake. The basic fundamental freedom of parents to raise their children hangs in the balance. Although the U.S. Supreme Court clearly recognizes parents' rights as fundamental and thus protected by a higher standard of review, many lower courts over the last 25 years have eroded this traditional view of parental rights. This bill will protect some fundamental rights of parents to make medical decisions and decide whom their children will live with, should their custody be taken away. For more information on parental rights visit www.ParentalRights.org . Thank you for your support of freedom in Texas! Sincerely, Christopher J. Klicka HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> How long are you in for? Some families are facing what seems like a lifelong commitment to homeschooling, with children at both ends of the spectrum -- some graduating and some just reaching school age. If you're going to be "in" for a while, consider a lifetime membership with HSLDA. It's a good deal for families with more than 10 years of homeschooling ahead. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1936 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
