By Brandon Hall
“I’ve never seen a lobby more powerful and scary. They make the anti-vaxxers seem rational.”
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)
That's Ellen Heinitz, legislative director for Michigan state Rep. Stephanie Chang, in an interview with the left-leaning Slate website a few weeks ago.
Chang did not rebuke her staffer's comments....
You may remember Chang from previous WMP stories on her disgusting attempt to use a recent tragedy to attack the home school community.
You may remember Chang from previous WMP stories on her disgusting attempt to use a recent tragedy to attack the home school community.
Chang's pushing for for intrusive regulatory measures that wouldn't have even stopped the murder of two kids in her district, an incident that serves as the "inspiration" for her twisted legislation..
A few weeks ago WMP wrote about the "War on Homeschoolers" some are using a tragedy to wage.
"After two Detroit area children died at the hands of their Mother, a legislator in the area wants to use the tragedy to pass new regulations on home schooled students. State Senator Phil Pavlov blasted the bill, saying it's an attempt to bully home schoolers and he won't even give it a hearing.
I met with some home schooled students in Lansing last week, and I can tell you, the home school community is immensely concerned about this legislation. It's quite disappointing to see this attack on home schoolers, and attached to a tragedy nonetheless? Disgusting.
The bill, introduced...by State Rep. Stephanie Chang, would require at least two visits annually with a child from a number of entities the parents would be forced to choose from."
The Detroit News also chimed in, writing:
"The Republican author of the West Michigan Politics blog labeled Chang’s bill a “WAR on HomeSchoolers.”
State Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township, wrote an open letter Monday to all “Michigan parents” vowing to make sure Chang’s bill never sees “the light of day” in his Senate Education Committee.
Pavlov, who is running for Congress next year, accused Chang of trying to “exploit Stoni and Stephen’s tragic deaths as an excuse to impose new regulations on loving, committed, and law-abiding Michigan families”
“Let’s be clear – this legislation would not have stopped Ms. Blair from killing her children,” Pavlov wrote. “Blair was willing to break every law on the books, and routinely and effectively lied for years to hide her crimes.”"
The legislation reads, in part:
"if a child is being educated at home, the child's parent or legal guardian shall ensure that all of the following are met:
(a) The child meets in person at least twice a year with a physician, licensed social worker, physician's assistant,individual employed in a professional capacity in any office of the friend of the court, school counselor or teacher, audiologist,psychologist, law enforcement officer, marriage and family therapist, member of the clergy, or regulated child care provider.
(b) The parent or legal guardian maintains and makes available upon request records of the meetings required under subdivision(a), including signed documentation from the individual meeting with the child."
Of note: "The real kicker to this whole saga is that inspections wouldn’t have even helped stop this particular tragedy. For example, the mother had already been investigated by the state for child abuse in 2002 and 2005. The state’s response was to refer her to counseling. Disaster was not averted despite her already being on the state’s radar."
"After two Detroit area children died at the hands of their Mother, a legislator in the area wants to use the tragedy to pass new regulations on home schooled students. State Senator Phil Pavlov blasted the bill, saying it's an attempt to bully home schoolers and he won't even give it a hearing.
I met with some home schooled students in Lansing last week, and I can tell you, the home school community is immensely concerned about this legislation. It's quite disappointing to see this attack on home schoolers, and attached to a tragedy nonetheless? Disgusting.
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| State Rep. Stephanie Chang |
The bill, introduced...by State Rep. Stephanie Chang, would require at least two visits annually with a child from a number of entities the parents would be forced to choose from."
The Detroit News also chimed in, writing:
"The Republican author of the West Michigan Politics blog labeled Chang’s bill a “WAR on HomeSchoolers.”
State Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township, wrote an open letter Monday to all “Michigan parents” vowing to make sure Chang’s bill never sees “the light of day” in his Senate Education Committee.
Pavlov, who is running for Congress next year, accused Chang of trying to “exploit Stoni and Stephen’s tragic deaths as an excuse to impose new regulations on loving, committed, and law-abiding Michigan families”
“Let’s be clear – this legislation would not have stopped Ms. Blair from killing her children,” Pavlov wrote. “Blair was willing to break every law on the books, and routinely and effectively lied for years to hide her crimes.”"
The legislation reads, in part:
"if a child is being educated at home, the child's parent or legal guardian shall ensure that all of the following are met:
(a) The child meets in person at least twice a year with a physician, licensed social worker, physician's assistant,individual employed in a professional capacity in any office of the friend of the court, school counselor or teacher, audiologist,psychologist, law enforcement officer, marriage and family therapist, member of the clergy, or regulated child care provider.
(b) The parent or legal guardian maintains and makes available upon request records of the meetings required under subdivision(a), including signed documentation from the individual meeting with the child."
Of note: "The real kicker to this whole saga is that inspections wouldn’t have even helped stop this particular tragedy. For example, the mother had already been investigated by the state for child abuse in 2002 and 2005. The state’s response was to refer her to counseling. Disaster was not averted despite her already being on the state’s radar."
Also:
"In a 5-1 vote Tuesday, the State of Michigan's Board Of Education declared war on homeschoolers, backing Democrat State Rep. Stephanie Chang's disgusting "homeschool surveillance" legislation.
The board's sole Republican present, Dr. Richard Zeile, spoke out against the resolution and voted against it. The other Republican, Eileen Weiser, was unable to attend due to a family event-she also vigorously opposes the resolution and blasted it in an email to fellow board members.
According to Jacob Kanclerz of MIRS, the State Ed Board supported a statement "that would throw support behind Rep. Chang's bill to create a homeschooled children registry."
The board's sole Republican present, Dr. Richard Zeile, spoke out against the resolution and voted against it. The other Republican, Eileen Weiser, was unable to attend due to a family event-she also vigorously opposes the resolution and blasted it in an email to fellow board members.
According to Jacob Kanclerz of MIRS, the State Ed Board supported a statement "that would throw support behind Rep. Chang's bill to create a homeschooled children registry."
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