MARCH 4, 2024
SCHEA
Preserving Homeschool Rights & Encouraging Homeschool Families
Urgent Action Needed to Protect Homeschool Freedom from Government “Help”
An Action Alert from HSLDA
Dear Friends of Homeschool Freedom in South Carolina,
“The ten most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m here from the government, and I’m here to help.” So said President Ronald Reagan. And that is why we need urgent action to oppose H. 5164, a bill which expands South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund to homeschool families.
South Carolina home educators have consistently told our elected officials “thanks, but no thanks” when it comes to money from the government. As HSLDA President Jim Mason has pointed out, “homeschooling did not begin as a movement because of the top-down vision of a politician, nor was it dependent on government largesse.”
BACKGROUND
When South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund was first enacted, South Carolina homeschoolers asked that they be written out of the bill. H. 5164 reverses this and deletes the following sentence from current South Carolina law: “not to participate in a home instruction program under Sections 59-65-40, 59-65-45, or 59-65-47[.]” This change will erase the line between private homeschooling and government-funded programs.
The K-12 Subcommittee for the House Education and Public Works Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 5, immediately after adjournment of the full committee. We expect the subcommittee to take up H. 5164 in Blatt 433, 1105 Pendleton Street, in Columbia.
We urge as many homeschoolers as possible to attend the hearing and tell our legislators we do not want government money to “help” us homeschool.
The full House Education and Public Works Committee will meet again on Wednesday, March 6, immediately after adjournment of the House, in Blatt 433. During this meeting we expect the full committee once more to take up H. 5164, and we urge as many homeschoolers as possible to attend and testify against the bill.
ACTION REQUESTED
In addition, please contact the six members of the K-12 Subcommittee and give them this message: “As a homeschool parent, I do not want money from the government. Please remove the strike-through from Section (f) in H. 5164. I want the language excluding homeschoolers to be kept in the law.”
The K-12 Subcommittee members:
Rep. Jeff Bradley, Chair
(803) 212-6815
Email: jeffbradley@schouse.gov
Rep. Bill Hager
(803) 212-6974
Email: billhager@schouse.gov
Rep. Kathy Landing
(803) 212-6975
Email: kathylanding@schouse.gov
Rep. David Vaughan
(803) 212-6779
Email: davidvaughan@schouse.gov
Rep. Terry Alexander
(803) 734-3004
Email: TerryAlexander@schouse.gov
Rep. Kambrell Garvin
(803) 212-6875
Email: kambrellgarvin@schouse.gov
