Homeschool Freedom Under Assault in New Hampshire
by Staff
January 13, 2010
PURCELLVILLE, Va., (christiansunite.com) -- This week the New Hampshire House of Representatives plans to vote on whether to strictly regulate homeschooling. Opposition is mounting against the Democratic leadership who are using a legislative maneuver to override the recommendations of a bi-partisan legislative study committee who recently voted 14-6 that the proposed new homeschool law (House Bill 368) is "Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL)."Democratic Representative Barbara Shaw, a retired teacher with 45 years experience and author of the majority report recommending that H.B. 368 is Inexpedient to Legislate said, "After studying this issue for several years I've gotten to know homeschoolers, the law, and how the system works and I'm convinced that it is working fine - there are no changes needed. Some people have accused me of doing a 180 on homeschooling - and I would have to admit that's true. But that's because I've seen that homeschooling is working for children in our state and the current law is adequate."
Republican Minority Leader Sherman Packard said that his party supports no further changes in the state's homeschooling law. "We've always supported homeschoolers - we aggressively support ITL. Until the end of last week we weren't aware that there was a problem with this legislation since the majority report was ITL."
"Trying to sneak through massive changes in the New Hampshire homeschool law by manipulating the system is unacceptable. The Democratic leadership and the Chairman of the Education Committee know that if they allowed an open process the overwhelming majority would vote Inexpedient to Legislate," said HSLDA staff attorney Mike Donnelly.
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a 27-year-old, 85,000 member non-profit organization and the preeminent association advocating the legal right of parents to homeschool their children.
