105 Peavey Road, Suite 116 Chaska, MN 55318
952-361-4931 http://edaction.org

February 20, 2007

An assault on families and freedom
Urgent attention needed!

UPDATES

March 2nd report.

Significant changes:

HF 302, House Authors: Peterson, S.; Slawik; Greiling; Bly; Dominguez; Morrow; Benson; Ruud; Clark; Kahn; Wardlow; Simon; Ward; Hilstrom; Tillberry. Rep. Demmer removed his name from the bill. He is to be thanked.

HF 302 was bought up briefly in the House E-12 Education Policy Committee on Thursday, Feb 15th, and was laid over for further consideration. Some committee members demonstrated serious reservations.

It was heard again on Tuesday, February 27th. ( Listen to the streaming audio or download MP3.) A "delete all" amendment removed many of the most offensive parts to the bill. Changes are the result of the personal action and involvement of parents and taxpayers. While there are many items we oppose in HF 302, significant positive changes include:

A "plan" to administer the controversial kindergarten readiness assessment to all preschoolers is replaced with "encouragement" to administer the assessment.
Rating private and religious programs, including "family, friends and neighbors, in compliance with the controversial and biased state outcomes (Early Child Indicators of Progress) has been removed. These outcomes include gender identity training, diversity training, environmentalism, group identity, and careers;
The new layer of government programming to "transition" all children from preschool to kindergarten has been removed. The No Child Left Behind-type (AYP) progress quotas for preschool have been removed.
Putting the state outcome based standards and their assessments for 0 to 5 into law has been eliminated. These outcomes are a rebirth of the failed Profile of Learning content, and applying them to preschoolers.
Training parents has been removed. Home visiting has been removed. Psychiatrically screens infants and toddlers has been removed.

HF 302 has been referred to the House Finance Committee.

SF 274, Senate Authors: Saxhaug; Clark; Stumpf; Robling; Rummel, was heard in the Senate E-12 Education Budget Division on Tuesday, February 27th. A delete-all amendment to SF 274 made similar changes to those in the House version, HF 302. It has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

February 25th Report.

HF 302 was heard was heard in the House E-12 Education Policy Committee on Feb 15th, and was laid over for further consideration. Some committee members demonstrated serious reservations. HF 302 will be heard again on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building.

SF 274 is scheduled for the Senate E-12 Education Budget Division on Tuesday, February 27th at 8:30 a.m. in Room 112, Capitol Building.

February 20, 2007

A collection of bills now making their way through the Minnesota legislature together constitute an assault on our families and our freedoms. All citizens and families of this great state need to begin to take serious action against these brazen efforts. Some legislators from both political parties would have us balloon our state government in size and spending to massively intervene in our personal family lives and the lives of our precious children. We will be forwarding you information on what is taking place at the state Capitol so that you can be equipped to be involved. Only the actions of informed citizens stands in the way of their success.

HF 302 /SF 274 (see below for authors) sets up a vast new and expensive layer of government that leaves nothing to parents that government doesn't oversee. The state will be authorized through grants to set up "community hubs" to get all children "ready for kindergarten" from "pre-natal" to age 5. This is the Nanny State in full display. Nothing is off limits. It sets up the state as the educator of us all. Low-income families are prioritized for this state family invasion, but most provisions affect all families.

These provisions include:

The state trains parents.
Government conducts newborn visiting and "intensive home visiting";
The state psychiatrically screens infants and toddlers;
Private and religious child care, including "family, friends and neighbors," are rated on how they comply with the controversial and biased state outcomes (Early Child Indicators of Progress). These outcomes include gender identity training, diversity training, environmentalism, group identity, and careers;
Government sets up an infrastructure to accommodate ALL children in preschool;
The state collects and stores intrusive data on all our kids, from pre-birth and on;
The state creates a new layer of government programming to "transition" all children from preschool to kindergarten. These include promoting all the other programs, encouraging government dependency. Children are screened with a kindergarten assessment based on the Indicators that is vague and subjective in academic areas and includes the controversial non-academic areas mentioned above. It over-identifies the poor, minorities, and boys as academic and emotional failures at the beginning of their careers.
Creates No Child Left Behind-type (AYP) progress quotas for preschool.
Puts the state outcome based standards and their assessments for 0 to 5 into law. These outcomes are a rebirth of the failed Profile of Learning content, and applying them to preschoolers.

Other bills set up other programs. We will do our best to keep you informed. Working together, a radical agenda for early childhood is moving through the legislature. If put into law, they will violate hundreds of years of tradition and legal precedence that parents are in charge of the raising, education and medical care of their children, especially young children. At least 4 Supreme Court decisions from 1923 to 2000 agree. Of these, Pierce vs. Society of Sisters eloquently states:

"[t]he child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations."

The question is, will we as parents direct our children's destiny or will they become "creatures of the state"? The answer is up to us and will affect the course of our nation for generations to come.

What can you do?
1. Make every effort to contact legislators on this and other bills--by phone, e-mail and personal visits. Let them know that you oppose big government intrusion into the privacy of our families. Remember, at the Capitol, they hear only from people with a vested interest in invasive government.

H 302, Rep. Sandra Peterson, (DFL- New Hope) 651-296-4176

SF 274, Sen . Tom Saxhaug, (DFL-Grand Rapids) 651-296-4136

2. Call your own legislator. (See who represents you: Click here.)
Let them know that you oppose big government intrusion into the privacy of our families. Let them know you will be contacting them as these bills come up. Some ideas for getting their attention are to get several people together to meet with them as a group. If your lawmakers oppose these bills, they should be speaking out publicly. If they are supporting the bills, they must know that you will make this a high priority in the next election.

3. Consider recruiting candidates.
Legislators must learn that voters take family issues very seriously. Seek out good candidates in key districts--candidates who will carry this issue to the public. If your members have a deaf ear but are from an impossibly "safe district," or if your lawmakers already oppose these bills, adopt another district that needs to unseat its incumbent.

4. Find ways to inform and activate your friends and neighbors. EdWatch has resources for viewing. Set up a local action group and become informed and involved together.

4. Help EdAction raise money for radio ads exposing this agenda.
Contact us at 952-361-4931 or email us here.

Bill Authors:
HF 302: Peterson, Sandra (DFL); Slawik, Nora (DFL); Greiling, Mindy (DFL); Bly, David (DFL); Demmer, Randy (R); Dominguez, Augustine "Willie" (DFL); Morrow, Terry (DFL); Benson, John (DFL); Ruud, Maria (DFL); Clark, Karen (DFL); Kahn, Phyllis (DFL) ; Wardlow, Lynn (R); Simon, Steve (DFL); Ward, John (DFL); Hilstrom, Debra (DFL). HF 302 was heard in the E-12 Education Committee, and laid over for further consideration. Some committee members demonstrated serious reservations.

SF 274: Saxhaug, Tom (DFL); Clark, Tarryl L. (DFL); Stumpf, LeRoy A (DFL).; Robling, Claire A. (R); Rummel, Sandy (DFL).

Update on Infant Mental Screening Alert (HF 169/ SF 92)
For testimony on the EdAction Alert on Infant Mental Health, HF 169, February 13th, listen to the streaming audio or download MP3. HF 169 passed the House E -12 Committee on February 13th, and it was referred to the K-12 Education Finance Division . The offending language on infant mental health was NOT removed.

The Senate version, SF 92, was heard Monday, February 19, in the Senate Education Committee. The chief author, Senator Terri Bonoff, amended out the word "behavioral," so the Senate version no longer has the overt reference to infant mental health from the federal program, as discussed in our alert. She is to be thanked. Senator David Hann expressed concern about implementing a coordinated government system for early childhood programs. Senator Gen Olson also expressed concerns about how early childhood programs can undermine parental authority, and we may see some genuine improvement in this bill. Stay tuned.

EdAction / 105 Peavey Road, Suite 116 /Chaska, MN 55318
952-361-4931 / http://edaction.org

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