from The State Journal-Register
Hundreds of families from all over Illinois mobbed the Capitol Tuesday morning to protest a bill that would require parents who home school their children to register with the state.
Parents – with their children in tow – packed the second floor of the rotunda and a meeting of the Senate Education Committee to oppose Senate Bill 136.
Sponsor Sen. Edward Maloney, D-Chicago, yanked the legislation, saying he agreed to not introduce the legislation pending the outcome of the committee testimony.
“A bill was introduced that had consequences beyond what I was trying to accomplish,” Maloney said.
Maloney said the idea for the bill came about in conversations with acquaintances who told him that there was no regulation of home schooling in Illinois.
Opponents of the measure argued that requiring home-schoolers to register would provide no benefit to a majority of students, while imposing a burden on parents and costing the state money.
But supporters argued that the lack of regulation led to abuse of the system and families falling through the cracks.
via www.sj-r.com
