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Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV)

To: Home Educators of Virginia
From: Joe Guarino, Director of Government Affairs

Thursday, February 26, 2004

PRAISE AND ALERT: DIPLOMA BILL PASSES EDUCATION COMMITTEE, GOES TO FULL SENATE

HB 675, the Homeschool High School Diploma bill, was reported from the Senate Education and Health Committee by the narrowest of margins, 8-7. This committee is known for being one of the most difficult committees to navigate a bill. But by God's sovereignty, and with your prayers, phone calls, and e-mails, we were able to see another victory. Thank you for your efforts!

With all the debate occurring last Thursday, no discussion took place this week. The vote went down close to party lines. Seven Republicans (Senators Potts, Quayle, Martin, Bolling, Newman, Ruff, and Mims) and one Democrat (Senator
Houck) voted for it. Six Democrats (Senators Saslaw, Lambert, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, and Whipple) and one Republican (Senator Blevins) voted against it. If your senator voted for the bill, please contact and thank them for their vote.

The bill will now have its second reading before the full Senate on Friday. It ill be debated and brought for a vote on Monday. By Monday morning, we will have to have made an avalanche of calls and sent a flood of e-mails to certain key senators for this bill to pass. Please make those calls and send those e-mails! This is the last step in the General Assembly to make the most sweeping change in the homeschool statute since it was made law 20 years ago.

CALLS AND E-MAILS ARE NEEDED NOW!
ACTION: The following senators have not made a firm commitment to vote one way or the other on this bill. Please contact them and ask for their support.

For these seven Republicans, inform them that Republican Senators Williams and Hanger have committed to vote for the bill, and Republican Senators Potts and Quayle have already voted for it in committee.

 
Senator Walter Stosch 804-698-7512 district12@sov.state.va.us
Senator Ken Stolle 804-698-7508 district08@sov.state.va.us
Senator Tommy Norment 804-698-7503 district03@sov.state.va.us
Senator John Chichester 804-698-7528 district28@sov.state.va.us
Senator John Watkins 804-698-7510 district10@sov.state.va.us
Senator Charles Hawkins 804-698-7519 district19@sov.state.va.us
Senator William Wampler 804-698-7540 district40@sov.state.va.us

For these three Democrats, inform them that Democrat Senator Ed Houck voted for  the bill in committee and Democrat Senator Phil Puckett is a co-patron. Ask these senators to join Houck and Puckett.

Senator Charles Colgan 804-698-7529 district29@sov.state.va.us
Senator Roscoe Reynolds 804-698-7520 district20@sov.state.va.us
Senator Yvonne Miller 804-698-7505 district05@sov.state.va.us

And because the vote could be close enough to end in a tie, EVERYONE must call President of the Senate, Lt. Gov. Timothy Kaine at 804-786-2078, and ask him to support the bill. Lt. Gov. Kaine will cast the tie-breaking vote on this bill.

If your senator is not listed, it means they are either definitely for it or absolutely against it. There is no sense in contacting them at this point, unless you truly desire to do so.

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND TRAINING ACT PASSES BOTH HOUSES

SB 584, the Child Abuse Prevention and Training Act, passed the full House 100-0 on Monday. Its twin, HB 1135, passed the full Senate 38-0 on Tuesday.

Perfunctory bills dropping federal law into state code, both bills passed without fanfare along with a block of other uncontested bills. They now await the governor' s action. With unanimous support for both bills, we expect he will sign the bills into law.