Home School Opportunities Make Education Sound Act of 2008 | Federal Law

FROM National Home Education Legal Defence
by Attorney Deborah G. Stevenson

Posted By Ina Woolcott

Did you know that once again, parents are faced with the prospect of yet another bill proposed in the United States Congress that would result in another federal law governing home schooling?

On June 3, 2008, Senator David Vitter, a Republican from Louisiana, introduced S. 3076: Home School Opportunities Make Education Sound Act of 2008. The text of the bill can be found at: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s110-3076

Once again, we are faced with a bill that purports to “assist” parents by providing them with a “tax break” allowing deductions for the expenses parents incur to provide home schooling. Once again, the bill appears beneficial and harmless. Unfortunately, once again, NHELD must oppose this bill, and urge others to oppose it as well, because it is unconstitutional for Congress to adopt such a bill, and because it has serious unintended consequences. As NHELD repeatedly has stated, all federal laws regarding home schooling are unconstitutional.

What exactly would this new bill do? It would allow parents to deduct from their federal income taxes expenses paid for their home schooling.

What is wrong with that? Several things.

1. As explained above, it’s unconstitutional.
2. Congress has no authority to adopt any such law.
3. There are significant unintended consequences (read the full article below to find out what these are)

The bottom line is that any federal law regarding “home schooling”, whether its content is beneficial or not, eventually will be construed to define the term, “home school”, at some point. If that term is defined as conflicting with any of the definitions of that term in existing state laws, those state laws will become null and void and all parents may be required to “home school” only under the federal definition of “home schooling”, whatever that definition may be.

Why was this bill introduced? Was Senator Vitter asked by someone to introduce it? Who asked him to introduce it? This is not the first bill that has been introduced in Congress to accomplish the goal of providing tax breaks to parents who home school. Several similar bills have been introduced in the past and have not been adopted. Among them was the Home School Non Discrimination Act, or HoNDA. One provision of that bill would have done precisely the same thing that this bill purports to do. Who was responsible for asking Congress to introduce HoNDA? Another national home school organization was responsible; Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Why did HSLDA ask Congress to introduce HoNDA, or any of the myriad of other bills it has proposed to Congress regarding home schooling?

If federal laws that conflict with state laws could mean that those state laws would become null and void, why is HSLDA asking Congress to adopt federal laws? (Currently there are 6 federal bills that HSLDA supports). Inevitably, when parents in the state whose law is being deemed null and void attempts to fight the nullity of the law, more court battles will ensue, and more bad precedents may result.

Why do we need to risk destroying our freedom like this? Is there really a nationwide constituency of parents clamouring at the door of our Representatives and Senators in Washington begging them to adopt federal legislation concerning home schooling? Or, is there only one national homeschool organization, with strong political connections in Washington, convincing individual, well-meaning legislators to propose federal laws by telling them they would be “helping” homeschoolers? Why does HSLDA want federal involvement in homeschooling? We have no answers to these questions, but these questions need to be asked.

For the full story click : HERE

Lucky that we live in the UK. I hope parents are wise enough to see through this. Why is big brother so controlling in the USA? What is the big worry about parents wanting to raise their children? What is the threat? Why do ‘they’ have to try and worm their way in time and time again? Luckily there are organisations like NHELD. I just don’t get that HSLDA have such hidden intentions and are just another means of trying to control the populace.