A new legislative session is upon us and with it comes hundreds upon hundreds of pages of new bills filed by the senators and representatives. Some days it can feel like Christmas as one anticipates the exciting ideas that may be put forth and other times one has to sit back and ask, “did I really just read that?”
Such is the case with several bills put forward in the 2021 session from Representative Bruce Hunter, (D-Polk). The virtue signaling and often frightening ideas should be enough to scare Iowans of what could become of Iowa should the hands of power change in the Iowa House. Let’s just look at one of the bills filed on Tuesday.
House File 37 – “A bill for an act relating to private instruction by adding reporting requirements and requiring school districts to conduct health and safety visits for children placed under competent private instruction, independent private instruction, or private instruction.”
Attention parents, ready to watch the education system take full control of your child? Rep. Hunter has proposed just that, all the way down to turning in a blood sample of your child to the school district.
To begin, a parent must file a report with the school that they plan on homeschooling because the school district is apparently the parent over the parents. The report must include personal information about the child/children, what specific curriculum will be used, and personal information of the instructor overseeing the private instruction. Along with the report, a parent must include evidence that their child has “required immunizations” and submit a blood lead sample.
But, wait there’s more! The school district will then conduct quarterly visits to the home to observe and report on the health and safety of the child, but don’t worry the home visits can be refused by the parent…or can they? As one reads further down the bill, if the parent refuses the home visit and if the observer “believes there is probable cause” the juvenile and district courts may get involved to force this observer into a family’s private home. If that wasn’t enough of a party already, the bill also authorizes officers of DHS to get involved!
Though this bill, with the current Republican leadership, will never see the light of day, it is important to highlight just what kind of nanny state some on the other side of the aisle would like to see Iowa become.
Author: Kelsey Kennedy
Kelsey Kennedy is a wife and a mother. She's writing under a pseudonym.
