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Illinois homeschoolers!!
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I hope this is ok to post this. There is a Senate Bill (SB 136) that would require homeschoolers to register with the state. It would severly limit our freedom. There is a rally being held in Springfield on Tuesday, Feb 15th. If you want more info, you can email me.
Please pray this doesn’t go through!!
Thanks!I’m in Illinois also! I got an email with list of senators phone numbers in Springfield to call to strongly encourage them to withdraw the bill. I can post the phone numbers if anyone wants to call between now and Feb 14.
I’ll be praying! I LOVE our freedom we have in IL and want it to continue. I don’t like Govt in my life telling me what to do with my children. 🙁
Tara
Are you close enough to Springfield to attend the rally or hearing? I live there, and my husband is thinking about taking off work to go. Hope we’ll get a large crowd!
Here is ICHE‘s Legislative Task Force Alert on the issue…
Help Needed Immediately to Stop Registration of Homeschool Children
Dear ICHE Family,
SB 136, Senator Maloney’s bill that would require all homeschooled children to be registered with the government, will have a hearing before the Senate Education Committee this Tuesday, February 15, at 10:45 a.m.
This is our first meaningful opportunity to stop a bill that would put every homeschooled child directly under the authority of the Illinois education bureaucracy.
How much power would the Illinois Department of Education have over your children? As much as it wants.
SB 136 as written gives the Department unlimited power to mandate what families submit when they register their children.
You–the individual homeschool families of Illinois–are now a vital, powerful, line of defense protecting the freedom to homeschool in Illinois!
ACTION REQUESTED
1. Please attend the hearing on February 15 at 10:45 a.m. in Room 212 in the state Capitol, Springfield, Ill. Feel free to bring well-behaved children. Please consider taking a day of vacation from work to protect your freedom. A big crowd will send a powerful message. Fill out a witness slip as you enter the room if you wish to speak. We are hoping for a very big crowd! Could you car pool and bring more people?
2. Prior to the hearing, call your senator if he or she is a committee member (see list below). Use the HSLDA Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox to find out who your senator is. Even senators whom you think already oppose the bill need to hear from you!
3. If your senator is not on the committee, call the chairperson, the vice chairperson and the minority spokesman (see below).
4. Your message can be as simple as: “Please vote NO on SB 136. Studies show that homeschooling prepares students for college better than other types of education. There is no need for government to expand into an area that is already so successful. A new registration mandate will require taxes to go up to pay for it.”
5. Attend the Briefing before the hearing! ICHE is holding an informational meeting with HSLDA representatives in the auditorium of the Howlett Building, 501 South 2d St., Springfield before the hearing. Start time for this imperative briefing is 9 a.m. This is a great educational opportunity. PLEASE no signs or yelling.
6. Pass this message on to others!
BACKGROUND
Homeschool leaders met with Sen. Maloney recently, but he has refused to withdraw his bill. In fact, he plans to amend it so children in institutional private schools are exempt from registering–so it would impact only homeschoolers.
He also plans to amend the bill to require families to register with the regional office of education rather than the state Department of Education. Obviously, this makes no meaningful difference.
On Feb. 8, the Illinois Review quoted Sen. Maloney as admitting “he doesn’t understand” why homeschoolers are so opposed to SB 136. A big crowd at the hearing this Tuesday may help him understand!
The Illinois Christian Home Educators Association and HSLDA are united in opposing this bill.
Thank you for standing with us for freedom!
Education Committee Members – Please call All!
Sen. James T. Meeks (D-Chicago) – Chairman of the Committee
Springfield : 217-782-8066
District: 708-862-1515
Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Westchester)
Springfield : 217-782-8505
District: 708-343-7444
Sen. Gary Forby (D-Benton)
Springfield : 217-782-5509
District: 618-439-2504
Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Highwood)
Springfield : 217-782-3650
District: 847-433-2002
Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago)
Springfield : 217-782-8191
District: 773-463-0720
Sen. John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago)
Springfield : 217-782-1035
District: 773-763-3810
Sen. David Luechtefeld (R- Okawville)
Springfield : 217-782-8137
District: 618-243-9014
Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Decatur)
Springfield : 217-782-5755
District: 217-428-4068
Sen. Suzi Schmidt (R-Lake Villa)
Springfield : 217-782-7353
District: 847-752-7004
Sen. Christine Johnson (R-Sycamore) *Do Not Contact until after 2/14*
Springfield: 217-782-1977
District: 815-895-6318
And from HSLDA…
Freedom in Illinois Threatened!
Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,
Homeschooling freedom in Illinois is in danger!
Join HSLDA Staff Attorney Scott Woodruff, tomorrow night (Friday, February 11) at 9:00 p.m. ET for an exclusive and urgent @home e-vent dealing with the present danger in the Prairie State.
Invite your friends, family, homeschool groups, and private school acquaintances to this free, open-to-the-public, webinar and discover why Senator Edward Maloney’s proposed Illinois bill SB 136 threatens all private school and homeschooling families with unprecedented state regulation.
Don’t miss this vital resource regarding your freedom–go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=10262 to register!
Until tomorrow night,
Scott Woodruff
HSLDA Senior Counsel
Yes I’m an hour away but have obligations that day. I’ll definitely be making phone calls and be in MUCH prayer!! I’ll ask our church to pray as well.
The Lord is in control!!
Tara
I’m in Illinois and have been reading about this and getting the alerts! While I do live too far away to go I already have my call in!!!
DebiJ
I grew up in IL, my family is still there. Passage of this would definately hinder any future decision to move back. If I lived in IL and were writing my senator, I would tell them that passage of this bill would cause me to seriously consider moving my family and my tax $$ out of IL to a more freedom-loving state. Praying this doesn’t pass!! Gina
I called them all but 2 of their mailboxes were full so have to try again later. I did get to talk to one of the Senator’s secretary and left her a short message. Unfortunately moving out of IL is not an option for us. 🙁 I read Sen. Maloney’s phone has been ringing off the hook he said, so I pray he gets the point! Leave well enough alone. I also read 2 Senators on the education committee are already saying they will vote no.
Tara
I went with my Sophomore and 8th grade daughters. Though we were not one of the 250 to be able to get into the actual hearing, we were part of the large crowd that gathered and right outside of the chamber doors as well. There were 4000+ in attendence; well beyond the 500 or so that they were expecting might show up. If you search on YouTube SB136, you will find a video of the days events including some of our HSLDA reps comments to the Education Committee.
This is far from over, so please keep homeschoolers in Illinois in your prayers.
Wonderful I’ll check out the video tonight! A family from our church went and he was amazed at all the homeschooler and how quiet they were during the hearing–a testimony alone of how we are doing our jobs!
God bless and keep praying!
Tara
http://wjbc.com/local-home-school-mother-slams-registry-effort/
An interview with a HS mom in Bloomington, IL who once taught in PS. GOOD interview.
Here is the latest from ICHE!
Thank you for all you’ve done! SB 136 has been tabled!
“Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations.”
Psalm 100: 4-5
Dear Friends,
Thank you for standing with us as we opposed SB 136. The bill has been tabled which means it has been withdrawn.
If you were following the bill and would like to see the good news for yourself go to:
Follow SB136 directly on http://www.ILGA.gov (Illinois General Assembly). Click on “Legislation & Laws” at the bottom. Then look at Senate Bills — Bills 101-200. click on SB136
Feel free to contact Senator Maloney’s office and thank him for listening to our concerns.
Mark your calendars for April 27th as we head back down to Springfield for Legislative Day. This time we’ll bring our thanks and some cherry pies.
Blessings,
ICHE
Legislative Task Force
BTW, the interview on WJBC is very good. Sarah is very succinct and states the case of home-schoolers. Definitely worth a listen.
It is not over yet ladies…
http://www.facebook.com/STOPSB136
”As many of you have seen, Senator Maloney stated publicly TODAY that he is holding meetings, who with, no body knows. But he is, and I quote, looking at “fashioning some sort of legislation…”. Despite all the emails that flew through cyberspace today telling us all that this was over and that phone calls were no longer needed, this is not over. Please keep your eyes and ears open.” Terri Koyne
They want homeschoolers to sign this petition that he will assure publicly that this is over…
Maloney’s interview today on radio station…
http://www.971talk.com/Dana/DanaTV/View.aspx?PostID=36958
Tara
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