Family Protection Ministries Newsletter

JOINT LEGISLATIVE NEWSFLASH - May 30, 2017 From:  Roy Hanson -- Family Protection Ministries and Mike Smith -- HSLDA

A Dangerous Bill Withdrawn - An Important Victory

The following is one of the many bills FPM has worked on so far this year.  AB 1202 (introduced on 2-17-17) would have changed who could take the CHSPE*. The goal of AB 1202 was to allow for "gifted" pupils to take the CHSPE in addition to those who are currently allowed to take the exam. AB 1202 could cause problems for homeschooling families because the author would have to define what types of schools would be allowed to determine that a child was "gifted". It is very possible that such a definition would have set apart home-based private schools as inferior to other schools. If AB 1202 were to have passed, it could have caused parents of pupils who are enrolled in home-based private schools to lose their existing ability to permit their children to take the CHSPE and graduate early.   FPM's Nathan Pierce met with the author's staff to explain some of these concerns. Subsequently, the author's staff informed us that the author has withdrawn AB 1202 and no action is needed. We and HSLDA consulted with each other on AB 1202 as we always do before taking a position on any bill that would affect private homeschooling.   FPM does a considerable amount of research and works behind the scenes to protect families from dangerous provisions or unnecessary and burdensome requirements in bills. So far, 2,547 bills have been introduced in the California State Legislature this 2017-2018 session. We are closely monitoring over ninety bills going through the legislative process. We have been working behind the scenes more extensively on twenty-seven of those bills.   Our Continuing Advocacy Work  Due to the sensitive nature and confidentiality of much of our work, we are not sending updates on all of the bills we are working on currently. Please pray that our work is successful. If it becomes necessary, we will send out an Action Alert explaining in detail who needs to be contacted at the Legislature at the very best time. Please pray that God would continue to direct and bless our work and that we would have the level of financial and prayer support needed. Our giving is down. We appreciate you and your teamwork efforts to protect our freedoms.

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* California High School Proficiency Exam - According to the California Department of Education, the CHSPE "is a test for pupils who need to verify high school level skills. In some cases, pupils take the test and leave high school early to work or attend college. Those who pass the test receive a Certificate of Proficiency from the State Board of Education, which is equal by [State] law to a California high school diploma. People who are 16 years of age or older may take the test." For more detailed information about the CHSPE, visit CDE's Website and then consult with HSLDA.

This Newsflash was sent out by: Roy Hanson and Nathan Pierce Family Protection Ministries PO Box 730 Lincoln, CA 95648

Permission given to forward this Newsflash unaltered to your friends, church, school, and group.