AB 111: A Threat to California Families and Homeschoolers

California Homeschool Network ^ | 5/7/03 | CHN Board of Trustees and Legislation Monitoring Committee

[Carry_Okie]

Dear Member of California Homeschool Network,

It is time for action! AB 111 is now on the floor of the Assembly and will be voted on soon. CHN's Legislation Monitoring Committee feels that this bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Corbett and called "Child abuse: mental suffering," is dangerous to families. It attempts to define emotional abuse of a child in order to make prosecution easier, but the definition is still vague and subjective. CHN's specific objections are listed later in this e-mail. CHN's request of the author for an amendment was rejected. CHN also sent letters of opposition to each of the committees (Judiciary and Public Safety) that heard this bill, but both passed it.

Current law already provides for the prosecution of unjustifiable mental abuse against a child, and for courts to consider any history of abuse when determining custody of a child. This bill does not add anything positive, but does add language that is harmful to families.

Please write, fax, or telephone your assemblymember to voice your opposition to AB 111. (E-mails are easily ignored.) You can find your assemblymember's name and contact information by entering your ZIP code at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html. (Your telephone book might also list legislative information.) To read the full text of this bill, go to http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html, set HOUSE = ASSEMBLY and enter "111" for the bill number, then click SEARCH or press enter. A sample letter follows:

Your name and address

Date

The Honorable (first and last name)

Assembly, State Capitol

Room (number)

Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Oppose AB 111

Dear Assemblymember (last name),

Please oppose AB 111.

(You do not need to write any more than this, but you are welcome to add your reasons. Please consider describing yourself as a concerned parent rather than a homeschooler, although you are certainly free to write whatever you desire. Please put ideas into your own words, rather than copying verbatim from this alert.)

Thank you for considering my views, and I look forward to seeing how you vote.

Sincerely,

(signature, followed by your name printed or typed and full address)

CHN's specific arguments against this bill are as follows:

1) The most objectionable language in AB 111 is in the legislative findings: "Emotional abuse can include humiliating or ridiculing a child, rejecting or isolating a child, or causing the child to witness domestic violence." These are all vague, subjective charges, which could be used against just about any parent. (Is it abusively isolating a child to send him to his room for a short time to cool off after misbehaving?) The phrase "isolating a child" has been wrongfully used against homeschoolers in the past.

2) This bill also attempts to define what evidence may be used to prove mental suffering in a child custody case. Homeschooling is often a bone of contention in custody cases, and one parent could ostensibly get someone to testify in court that homeschooling has caused "an injury to the intellectual or psychological capacity or the emotional condition of a child," even though it would be possible to get other professionals to testify to the contrary. Such "evidence" would be a matter of opinion.

3) The final section of the bill encourages local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with mental health professionals so that these people may show up at the same time as police officers and immediately assess the psychological needs of families where children have been exposed to "any...traumatic event." This seriously violates parental rights. An irate neighbor, ex-spouse, or family member could call the police and say a child is being traumatized because he can't go to public school. Not only would the police show up, but also a mental health professional would immediately separate the child to assess the psychological needs of the family, when the parents have not even been charged with a crime.

from the CHN Board of Trustees and Legislation Monitoring Committee

[Carry_Okie]

To all those RINOs and ideologues for whom Bill Simon wasn't good enough, I want you to remember what his veto would mean when it comes to a bill like this. How many conservatives who would do much to elect Republicans will leave California if the right to educate their children is slowly taken?

[Carry_Okie]

This is a direct threat on California Christian families. It wouldn't be a stretch for these CPS thugs to call Christianity or rigorous mathematics "mental suffering."

[Carry_Okie]

Perhaps you'll deign to note this one.

[keithtoo]

Here's an idea. Use an FB-111 to defeat AB-111.

[Carry_Okie]

Probably the bill first among many like it.

There are no restraints and there is plenty of cover.

[Carry_Okie]

It's California. Dumb bombs only.

[Desdemona]

ping

[Osage Orange]

We left....in 1997. Even though personally...we never had any problems HS'ing. I rarely use the word "never". But, (g) I'm never going back.

Best FRegards,

[BibChr]

Excellent point. Simon ran a pathetic, miserable campaign, and he should be ashamed. *And* any Californian who didn't vote for him is an idiot. This is an excellent illustration of the latter.

Dan

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[liberalnot]

agree.

i thought simon had a lack-luster persona, but that he'd make a better governor than davis.

i've seen kids who are the product of home schooling, and it's amazing!

i noticed a black 17 year old, working at a fast food restaurant on a permit. there was something different about him: he was polite, self-disciplined, energetic, and very bright. later i found out that his mother had home schooled him.

the ads by wayne johnson of the california teachers association on the radio make me angry. they just want more money for their dumbed-down school system.

[BibChr]

It wouldn't be a stretch for these CPS thugs to call ...rigorous mathematics "mental suffering."

Well... it is!

But otherwise, you're right!

Dan
(c;

[TxBec]

ping.

[Carry_Okie]

LOL! I guess I'm an abuser. My older daughter starts college calculus next year. She'll be ten. Her sister isn't far behind.

Mathematics can cure even the most ardent perfectionist (which she is). Whenever I show her how she blew a problem, she's learned to get that big, "Gosh, that was really stoopid" grin on her face.

Humility makes for happier kids. Advanced math makes learning hard science a snap. She'll probably end up skipping most of high school. I suspect she'll start formal enrollment in college by the time she's twelve.

It isn't that hard. The schools are really that bad.

[just me]

Warning Public Schools can be damaging to your child's mental health.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this.

With the budget cuts that are impacting and will impact the public warehouses posing as schools, the administrators, teachers, teacher unions and their thugs in the legislature will try to kill home schooling.

If they can just get one home schooled child back into each classroom, that is a new inflow of thousands of $'s. You know this $ amount better than I do.

This is just the first shot of many to try and ruin homeschooling in California. They ain't doing it for the chilrun. They are doing to protect and expand their illegal franchise of public schooling.

[Carry_Okie]

Write that letter, please.

[Grampa Dave]

I will.

What is average amount of tax $'s these tax suckers in education get each year/student?

[Carry_Okie]

The last number I have is for 1999, complied by the Pacific Research Institute. It puts the total expenditure of State, local, and Federal funds for k-12 education at a statewide average of $10,700 per student.

We all know it's higher now.

Call it over TWO HUNDRED GRAND per classroom of twenty kids. That's a conservative number applicable in most every district in the State.

[Grampa Dave]

That is incredible. If the legislators were really interested in cutting expenses, they would give 5,000/year for each home schooled child.

You know that amount has increased at least 25% since 1999.