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From the HSLDA@Capitol Hill E-lert Service...
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May 16, 2001

Alert Update-Victory for Michigan Home Schoolers

Dear Michigan HSLDA Members and Friends,

We are happy to report to you that Michigan home schoolers have won a
great victory in the Michigan legislature. Your response to the call
for action and the overwhelming numbers of calls the representatives
received served to defeat House Bill 4521. H.B. 4521 would have
amended the compulsory attendance law to require that all home school
children take the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test
and submit the scores to the Michigan Department of Treasury. Home
schoolers operating under exemptions (a) or (f) would have been
required to comply with this law.

H.B. 4521 was read for the first time in the House on March 27, 2001,
and referred to the Education Committee the same day. HSLDA's first e-
mail alert went out to member families on April 2, 2001, urging them
to contact the sponsors of the bill and express their opposition.
HSLDA sent out two more strategic 'E-lerts' (April 6 & 16) updating
the status of the bill and urging more calls.

Michigan home schoolers responded immediately. Rep. Mark Schauer
received 700 calls--the highest number of calls his office has ever
received over a single piece of legislation. Rep. Julie Dennis
received over 500 calls in one week, and Rep. Michael Switalski
received 100 calls a day.

Due to the overwhelming opposition, Rep. LaMar Lemmons, one of the
sponsors of H. B. 4521, withdrew his support of the bill. Rep.
Schauer, another sponsor of the bill, stated in an e-mail to home
schooling constituents: "Based on your input, I have concluded that
H.B. 4521 misses the target in many ways, and I have decided to no
longer support this bill. H.B. 4521 threatens to remove the
flexibility that you enjoy in customizing your child's education. It
could also result in encouraging home schoolers to 'teach to the
test'--a phenomenon that I don't feel is healthy in any setting."

We have received reports of other sponsors who thought they would
vote against the bill and many other legislators who pledged to
oppose the bill if it ever reached the House floor.

Dennis Smith of Information Network of Christian Homes (INCH),
Attorney Dave Kallman, and others visited Rep. Wayne Kuipers,
chairman of the Education Committee, urging him to oppose this bill.
On May 11, HSLDA contacted Rep. Kuipers asking him to formally
declare his position. Rep. Kuipers issued a statement that he "does
not support H.B. 4521 and will not bring it up for discussion or vote
in committee."

Your calls, letters, and e-mails had a great impact in effectively
defeating this bill. HSLDA continues to monitor this bill closely to
be certain it remains dead. HSLDA is also tracking other bills in the
Michigan legislature and will be updating HSLDA members soon.

Sincerely,

Christopher J. Klicka
Senior Counsel

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Home School Legal Defense Association
P.O. Box 3000
Purcellville, Virginia 20134
540-338-5600
www.hslda.org
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Other Resources

More information on Michigan's House Bill 4521