| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 4/5/2012 12:20:36 PM Scott Woodruff--HSLDA Maryland: Update: No More Calls on SB 362--Pugh Accepts Important Amendment |
|
====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Update: No More Calls on SB 362; Pugh Accepts Important Amendment But Dodges Huge Cost Issue Dear Maryland HSLDA Members and Friends, Yesterday I attended the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on SB 362, which would raise the age at which compulsory attendance ends in Maryland from the 16th to the 18th birthday. My primary purpose in attending was to support amending SB 362 with the same amendment already added to the house companion bill, HB 373. I was very happy when the bill's sponsor, Senator Pugh, announced that she would agree to allow SB 362 to be amended. I expect the Committee to vote on adding the amendment soon (if they have not already). HSLDA strongly supports this amendment because it protects the current legal framework of homeschooling (explained in more detail in "Background" below). ACTION REQUESTED We request that families do NOT make any further phone calls or send emails. Some lawmakers are already confused about the bills and the amendments. More calls and emails might just confuse them more! Representatives of HSLDA, Maryland Association of Christian Home Educators, and Maryland Hand-in-Hand Homeschool will continue to work hard one-on-one with lawmakers to clearly present our message of support for the amendment but opposition to the bills. BACKGROUND The amendment that we want to keep on HB 373 (and add to SB 362) is known as Amendment Number HB0373/335261/01. There was no doubt that the House Ways and Means Committee was going to amend the bill with or without Pugh's agreement. But her agreement means that it is likely that this important amendment will stay on the bill and protect the legal framework for homeschooling if it moves forward in the legislative process. The amendment states that homeschool students who have completed a program of regular, thorough instruction will be exempt from compulsory attendance (i.e., no more filing, portfolio reviews, etc.). With this important provision added, homeschool graduates can move on with other things in their lives after graduation, just the same as graduates of public and private schools. The amendment also removes a threat to the legal framework of homeschooling itself. The threat came about because HB 373 and SB 362 as originally drafted, needlessly and dangerously inserted the homeschool regulations (by reference) into the homeschool statute itself. This was a violation of the normal and proper relationship between statutes and regulations. It might even have allowed the State Board of Education to create new homeschool regulations beyond the boundaries of the regular, thorough instruction provision in the statute. The amendment protects the normal relationship between statutes and regulations, protects the long-standing legal framework for homeschooling, and thus protects our freedom. The amendment accomplishes this by removing all references to home schooling and homeschool regulations from the statute. This is a good thing! One delegate at the hearing questioned whether the state could afford the many millions of dollars that raising the age of compulsory attendance to 18 will cost. It is expected to cost $53 million in 2018, for example (per the official fiscal note on the bill). And that figure includes only state money--not the additional expenses localities will incur. Sen. Pugh said that the state would actually save money because fewer young people would end up in jail, etc. However, the fiscal note says that the savings "cannot be reliably estimated." The Senator's belief that an appreciable amount of money will be saved is mere speculation. But the high costs are not in doubt. The Task Force to Study Raising the Compulsory Public School Age to 18 recommended AGAINST raising the compulsory attendance age because of cost and other factors. Thank you for standing with HSLDA for freedom in Maryland! Scott A. Woodruff, Esq. Senior Counsel Home School Legal Defense Association ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> How many acorns can a chipmunk hold in its cheeks? We don't know! But we do know that gathering little by little enables ordinary folks to prepare for hard times. That principle is behind HSLDA's payment plan: by paying a month at a time, families can receive an annual HSLDA membership. Meanwhile, they can feel secure as they homeschool and focus on other priorities -- their children. Don't go nuts trying to pay for membership all at once--choose our convenient payment plan. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1937 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
