SB 136: Killed But Still Kicking

On Thursday, February 17, 2011, Senator Edward Maloney killed SB 136. When I heard the news, I contacted his Chicago office to thank him and to ask if he will continue to pursue the registration of homeschooled students with the Illinois State Board of Education. I was told by a woman in his office (Jackie) that the senator was still in Springfield and that she did not have a lot of details. She did inform me that “any future discussions will include homeschoolers.” She did not indicate WHO those homeschoolers would be. She did tell me she would leave Sen. Maloney a message to return my call. As of this writing, Saturday, February 19, 2011, I have not received a call from my senator.

In the meantime, organizations such as the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE) have put out messages to their members which say that the issue of SB 136 is done. However, they are WRONG. While SB 136 was indeed tabled, the issue is still quite alive.

Senator Maloney must not have received the message carried to Springfield earlier this week by some 4,000+ folks from the homeschooling community.

For more information, visit the following Facebook pages:

• Stop SB 136: http://www.facebook.com/STOPSB136

Update 2/22/11: The rally scheduled for Saturday, February 26, 2011, has been postponed. Please visit the Stop SB 136 Facebook page for any updates.