I think this is really important. Even though it probably won't affect most homeschool state groups, it's the still an attack on free speech.

Gail

May 11, 2007

HSLDA: Calls Needed Protect Grassroots Lobbying from Federal Control

Dear HSLDA members and friends,

We urgently need you to call your U.S. Representative to resist
efforts to place federal control over grassroots lobbying activity. 
The House of Representatives is preparing to introduce its own
lobbying reform bill, and it is very likely that attempts will be made
to regulate grassroots lobbying.  Grassroots lobbying is the type of
lobbying homeschoolers used to defeat the amendment to H.R. 6 in 1994
that could have required homeschool parents to be certified as
teachers by the state.

The House Judiciary Committee plans to consider the House lobbying
reform bill as early as Tuesday of next week.  At that time, two other
bills may be introduced as amendments: H.R. 2093
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4097 and H.R. 984
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4098 .  The Democrat leadership in
the House has not released the official date of the Judiciary
Committee action, but it is a strong possibility that it will happen
on Tuesday, and the lobbying reform bill will very likely be voted on
by the full House of Representatives as early as May 22.  For that
reason, we urge you to call your Representative immediately.

Home School Legal Defense Association opposes both of these bills, as
they will increase regulation on entities who urge citizens to call
their elected officials.  H.R. 2093, a bill to "Amend the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995," will regulate attempts to encourage citizens
to contact their elected representatives, otherwise known as
"grassroots lobbying." This is done by broadening the definition of a
"lobbying firm" to include entities that spend, receive or agree to
spend or receive $100,000 per quarter on grassroots lobbying
activities.  H.R. 984, the "Executive Branch Reform Act of 2007" will
require over 9,000 employees in the Executive Branch to report any
"significant contact" between the employee and a citizen about any
official government action. 

Although these bills may not affect most homeschool support groups,
organizations, or churches at the outset, they strike at the heart of
free speech and the rights of citizens to stay informed about their
government and call their elected officials.  If these bills are
passed, more restrictions will follow on anyone who urges citizens to
call Congress, including restrictions that would severely burden
homeschool support groups, organizations, and churches.  Please read
more about this and the victory for grassroots lobbying in the Senate
at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=4099 .

ACTION REQUESTED

Please call your U.S. Representative today and urge him or her to vote
against H.R. 2093 and H.R. 984 if they are brought up as amendments to
the lobbying reform bill, and to vote against any effort to restrict
grassroots lobbying.  Your message can be as simple as, "As Congress
prepares to take up lobbying reform, please make sure that the First
Amendment right of citizens to call their elected officials is
protected.  Please vote against H.R. 2093, H.R. 984, and any other
bill that restricts grassroots lobbying."  It is not necessary to
identify yourself as a homeschooler.

Please pass this alert on to friends and other concerned citizens and
urge them to call their U.S. Representative.

You can reach your U.S. Representative by calling the U.S. Capitol
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or by using our legislative toolbox at
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3602 .

Thank you for standing for liberty.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Smith
President, HSLDA