Important Homeschool Bill Gets 7-0 Do Pass from Senate Education Committee

March 6, 2019 T. Arthur Mason Education
(Photo via flickr.)

Back in January, we published an article explaining that Rep. Dan Johnston’s (R – District 24) House Bill 1052 has the potential to be the most impactful piece of legislation we’ve seen for many homeschool families in North Dakota. In fact, it may just be one of the great pieces of education legislation— period.

In a nutshell, HB 1052 would address a 2007 Attorney General’s opinion that interprets North Dakota’s current law as restricting those who can supervise home education to parents only. If passed, the definition of “parent” would be expanded to include “a child’s legal guardian”. The definition of “supervise” would include “the selection of materials, determination of an educational philosophy, and oversight of the method, manner, and delivery of instruction.”

As law, the implications of this bill are significant as it would open up a variety of opportunities for homeschool families across the state. For example, suppose a parent desires to strengthen a specific content area for their child. They would be free to use a tutor to provide that instruction. With the advancement of technology, other parents might choose from a number of on-line options now available to students across the country. These opportunities are technically not legal under the current law.

When HB 1052 was heard in the Senate Education Committee yesterday, Senator Erin Oban (D – District 35) expressed her surprise that it took so long for this issue to be addressed. With the backing of the Governor’s Office and Department of Public Instruction behind it, the committee has now given the bill a 7-0 Do Pass recommendation.

As of this writing, the bill doesn’t appear on the Senate calendar for a vote, but we can expect that to happen soon. There’s literally been no legislative opposition to the bill at this point in the process. It came out of committee on the House side with a 13-0 Do Pass, passed the House on a vote of 90-0, and now received the 7-0 Do Pass on the Senate side. Nevertheless, it’s important that supporters of this legislation contact their senators and urge them to vote green.

 

Sources:

  1. https://theminutemanblog.com/2018/12/20/rep-dan-johnston-proposes-bill-to-give-homeschoolers-more-opportunity1/
  2. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/bill-index/bi1052.html
  3. https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/sites/ag/files/Legal-Opinions/2007-L-03.pdf
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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