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Originally Sent: 1/28/2014

FromtheHSLDAelertservice

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CrucialWeektoStopAttackonFaith BasedHomeschooling
DearHSLDAMembersandFriends: ThisisthecrucialweekwhentheHouse RulesCommitteemaydecidetoprotect yourfreedombyvotingnoonHJ92or movetowardrestrictingfaithbased homeschoolfamiliesbyvotingyes.The CommitteeisexpectedtomeetthisFriday, January31. Lobbyistswhowanttoreduceyour freedomhavebeenvisitinglawmakers urgingthemtosupportHJ92.Willyouhelp counteracttheirinfluence? Weneedyourvoicethisweektohelpfill Richmondwiththemessagethat freedom isprioritynumberone,andthatHJ92 shouldbestopped!

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TosupportHSLDAs litigation,education andlobbyingefforts, clickhere. Contributionsorgifts toHSLDAarenottax deductible.Tomakea taxdeductiblegiftto theHomeschool FreedomFund,which willfundlitigationand educationofthe public,clickhere.For moreinformation aboutthesetwo opportunitiesto supporttheworkof HSLDAseetheFAQ here.

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1.Findoutwhoyourdelegateis!Use thislink.IfyourdelegateisontheRules Committee(seelistofmembersbelow) please: 2.Payapersonalvisittoyourdelegate beforeFriday.Explaininyourownwords whyyouareopposedtoHJ92,andask yourdelegatetovoteagainstit.Delegates

SeniorCounsel Scott Woodruffanswers questionsandassists memberswithlegal issuesinyourstate. Heandhiswife homeschooledtheir children.

Readmore>> payattentiontotheirconstituents!The officesofalldelegatesarelocatedinthe GeneralAssemblyBuilding,910CapitolSt., Richmond.Hereisalinktodirectionsandparkingsuggestions.Before yougo,takeafewminutesandfamiliarizeyourselfwiththeissuesby readingthebackgroundsectionbelowandthetalkingpoints. 3.Ifitjustwontworkforyoutovisityourdelegateinperson, place aphonecalltoyourdelegate.Thephonenumbersarelistedbelow. YourmessagecanbeassimpleasIamoneofyourconstituents. PleasevoteNOonHJ92.Nostudyisneededofthereligious exemption.IthasbeenacornerstoneofreligiousfreedominVirginia for37years.Oryoucanmakeyourownmessageusinginformation inthiselert. 4.MarkyourcalendartocometoRichmondonFebruary4.Iplan tovisittheofficeofeverycommitteememberthatmorning.Isyour delegateonthecommittee?Ifso,itwillbeincrediblyhelpfulifyou, theirconstituent,comewithme.Wewillgoasagroupandvisiteach

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YouCanHelp! TheHomeSchool Foundationsupports homeschoolfamiliesin need.Whetherit'sa widoworafamily sufferingaftera naturaldisaster,HSFis theretohelp.Youcan givedirectly,or throughourClicksFor Homeschooling programonline merchantscontribute toHSFwhenyoushop! Startshoppinghere tocontributetoHSF atnocosttoyou!

memberofthecommittee.Togetherwecanmultiplyourimpact!I willsenddetailsabouttimeandlocationlaterthisweek.ThisHLSDA eventisindependentofbutonthesamedayastheCapitolDay sponsoredbyHomeEducatorsAssociationofVirginia.TheHSLDA eventwillbecanceledifthecommitteekillsHJ92onFriday.The HEAVeventwillgoforwardregardless.

ContactInformation
StevenLandes(R) Phone:(804)6981025 Email:DelSLandes@house.virginia.gov M.KirklandCox(R) Phone:(804)6981066 Email:DelKCox@house.virginia.gov TerryKilgore(R) Phone:(804)6981001 Email:DelTKilgore@house.virginia.gov R.LeeWare(R) Phone:(804)6981065 Email:DelLWare@house.virginia.gov S.ChrisJones(R) Phone:(804)6981076 Email:DelCJones@house.virginia.gov RobertD.Orrock(R) Phone:(804)6981054 Email:DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov BarryD.Knight(R) Phone:(804)6981081 Email:DelBKnight@house.virginia.gov RileyE.Ingram(R) Phone:(804)6981062 Email:DelRIngram@house.virginia.gov JimmieMassie(R) Phone:(804)6981072 Email:DelJMassie@house.virginia.gov GregoryHabeeb(R) Phone:(804)6981008 Email:DelGHabeeb@house.virginia.gov JohnnyS.Joannou(D) Phone:(804)6981079 Email:DelJJoannou@house.virginia.gov KennethR.Plum(D) Phone:(804)6981036 Email:DelKPlum@house.virginia.gov AlgieHowell,Jr.(D) Phone:(804)6981090 Email:DelAHowell@house.virginia.gov DavidJ.Toscano(D) Phone:(804)6981057 Email:DelDToscano@house.virginia.gov

Background
AstudybyDr.BrianRayshowedthatstudentshomeschooledunder thereligiousexemptionscore33percentilepointshigherthanothers onstandardizedtests. Thestudyitselfwouldplaceanadministrativeburdenonthestate DepartmentofEducationandlocalschoolboards.Butthemeasure providesnofundstocovertheseadditionalexpenses. Itisan unfundedmandate. Nostudyisnecessary.AllfiveofthequestionsthatHJ92proposes canbeansweredwithoutastudy. Thefirstquestionishowschoolboardsdecideifanexemptionshould begranted.Thesimpleansweristhattheyfollowtheclear requirementsofthestatute. Thesecondquestioniswhetherschoolboardseverreviewtheir decisions.Theanswerissimple.Lawsalreadyonthebookswould

allowaschoolboardtoreviewitsdecisionifthereisagoodreasonto reviewit. Thethirdquestioniswhetherschoolboardsrequireanexemptionto berenewed.Thesimpleansweristhatsomedoandsomedont. Thefourthquestioniswhetherschoolboardsmonitortheeducationof exemptedstudents.Thesimpleanswerisno.Theyareexemptfrom allgovernmenteducationmandates. Thefifthquestioniswhetherthereligiousexemptionstatuteshouldbe amendedtobettercarryoutthestatesdutyundertheVirginia Constitutiontoprovidefreepubliceducationandcompulsory attendance.ThisquestionshowsthatDel.Rust,whosponsoredHJ92, doesnotunderstandtheVirginiaConstitution. Thesimpleansweristhat thereligiousexemptionstatutewas neverintendedtoimplementthepubliceducationcompulsory attendancesectionsoftheConstitution.Itwasintendedto implementafarolder,andfarmorefoundationalpartofthe Constitution:Article1,Section15,whichguaranteesthefreeexercise ofreligion. Onehomeschoolgraduaterecentlycriticizedthereligiousexemption statuteclaimingthatbecauseitallowedhisparentstohomeschool himwithoutgovernmentmandates,hehadtotakeremedialclasses whenheenrolledincommunitycollege.Thiscomplaintdoesnothold water.Sixtypercentofallcommunitycollegestudentstakeatleast oneremedialordevelopmentalclass.Anddespitetheeducationhe gotathome,nowheattendsGeorgetownUniversity,oneofthe nationstop25. Between1976whenthereligiousexemptionstatutewasenactedand 1984whenthehomeinstructionstatutewasenacted,religious exemptionwastheonlywaytohomeschoollegally.Itsnotlikely,but ifthehomeinstructionstatutewereeverrepealed,thereligious exemptionstatutewouldstillallowfamiliestohomeschooltheir childreniftheybelievethatenrollingtheirchildreninpublicschoolis againstGodswillforthem. AnumberofVirginiaAmishfamiliesstopprovidingformaleducation totheirchildrenoncetheyfinish8thgrade. Thesefamiliescouldbe indangerofcriminalprosecutionifthereligiousexemption statuteisthreatened.Manyotherdeeplyreligiousfamiliesplace suchanemphasisonseparationfromthestatethattheywouldrefuse tofileanoticeofintentifthereligiousexemptionwerenotavailable. They,too,couldbeindangerofprosecutioniftheexemptionis threatened. Thereligiousexemptionstatuteworkssowellandwithsolittle controversythatduringits37yearsofoperation,ithasgenerated onlyonelawsuitthathascomebeforetheVirginiaappellatecourts. Legislativestudiesareoftenusedtoclearthepathsomorelawscan beenacted.ItsobviousthatDel.Rustsrealplanistousetheresults ofthestudy(ifitisconducted)tosomehowsupporthimintryingto takeawaysomeofyourrightsinthefuture. OurwebpageforHJ92providesalinktoadditionaltalkingpoints aboutHJ92. TheHomeEducatorsAssociationofVirginia,theOrganizationof VirginiaHomeschoolers,andHSLDAareunitedinopposingHJ92. Thankyouforstandingwithusforfreedom! Sincerely, ScottA.Woodruff HSLDASeniorCounsel P.S.Wegreatlyvalueyouandyoursupportitisaprivilegetoserve you!IfyouorsomeoneyouknowisnotamemberofHSLDA,willyou considertakingamomenttodaytojoinorrecommendus? Your supportforourworkenablesustodefendindividualfamilies threatenedbygovernmentofficialsandprotecthomeschooling freedomforall.Joinnow>>
WhoaretheNationsBestLobbyists? Wedontknowthatthishaseverbeen determinedbutwedoknowthatHSLDAs

determinedbutwedoknowthatHSLDAs FederalRelationsDepartmentistheonly nationalorganizationlobbyingonbehalfof homeschoolersonCapitolHill. MorereasonstojoinHSLDA>>

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