URGENT:
A companion bill to HB1403 has appeared in the Senate. It is going to the Education Pre-K -12 Committee today at 1:00 PM.
We are asking parents to call and email the members of that committee NOW to express your concerns!
You can find the members of that committee here: https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/Show/ED?pref=full
Also, if you are a PEP parent local to Tallahassee and want to come speak at the committee, please reach out to us at info@flhef.org ASAP so we can help coordinate!
Today the house did the second and third readings and passed it on the final floor vote. So it's left to the senate. I have not seen any updates on more committees reviewing.
What was that toward the end where Perry moved for it to be a committee bill? I'm seeing different verbiage for other bills that were approved so how is this different?
I am definitely a little heartened by the senators who spoke as homeschool parents and the general support of meeting somewhere in the middle instead of taking it to this extreme as Tomkow has, but I'm not super hopeful anybody will actually file an amendment. It's almost a non-issue for them but it so greatly affects PEP homeschoolers...just this one line that's been added. :(
When is the hearing today and is there a link to it? Thanks!
Thanks for speaking. They seemed a little more willing to compromise which is good.
Talk about short notice...
Here's what I sent:
I know you are discussing SPB 7048 today in committee, and I wish I could have communicated earlier on this matter.
We are a current PEP family and have concerns about this bill. As it currently stands, this bill creates a giant gap in the provision of the education of PEP students. It's clear and understandable that steps must be taken to prevent irresponsible spending, but as it stands it is far too broad in its prohibition on any equipment outside of core subjects.
The arts and physical education have been seen as legitimate areas of study as long as human civilization has existed, and it doesn't make sense that resources for these areas should be restricted so absolutely. There are less restrictive ways of regulating these expenditures that would curb 90% of whatever issue exists without completely cutting off parents' and students' options in these areas. For example, designating an amount (say, $1500) that could be spent on educational equipment outside of core subjects.
Another issue with the law as it stands is that there is no statutory definition of "equipment", so ordinary school supplies or items like desks or bookshelves (or even paints/pencils/binders/notebooks) could also be caught up in it, as there is no way to show that these would just be used for core subjects.
If there is no time to make these modifications this session, I encourage you to support the removal of this restriction altogether and work on a more nuanced solution for the next session.
Thank you for your attention.