Will Estrada, senior counsel of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), says House Bill 2827 was introduced in February.
"[It] would have turned back the clock on 75 years of homeschool freedom in Illinois, would have required homeschoolers to file paperwork every year with the school district," he reports. "If they didn't, automatic criminal penalties would apply."
The 60-page measure also included restrictions on traditional brick-and-mortar private schools.
"The biggest worry was that if it passed, it would embolden opponents of homeschooling across the United States, and we'd see bills like this popping up everywhere," Estrada notes. "The good news has been homeschoolers in Illinois rallied."
More than 8,500 people came to the Illinois State Capitol for the hearing on March 9th and "stopped the bill in its tracks."
"[It] failed to meet the crossover deadline on Friday, April 18th, and things have been quiet in the weeks since then," the HSLDA spokesman reports. "At this point, the bill appears to be dead in the Illinois House of Representatives."
He says the Democratic Party holds a strong position in the Illinois Legislature, with massive, veto-proof margins, and their alignment with Democratic Governor JB Pritzker means they never have to exercise a veto override.
But this measure has shaken the party, causing what Estrada calls a "screaming match" between bill sponsor Rep. Terra Costa Howard and Rep. La Shawn Ford of Chicago.
"What made this very interesting was La Shawn Ford has really been the face of the Democrat opposition to HB 2827," Estrada relays. "He has stood with homeschool families."
In a press conference on April 3rd, he called HB 2827 "a pipeline to the criminal justice system for parents."
"How can we criminalize parents who love their children?" Rep. Ford posed.
In retaliation to his opposition, Terra Costa Howard is prohibiting any of Ford's bills from coming up for a vote or for a hearing. She maintains that HB 2827 is still alive.
Estrada notes the importance of staying engaged, especially since the legislative session does not end until May 31st. He says HSLDA is cautiously optimistic that the bill is dead for this legislative year, but they recognize that could change very quickly.
"We are in constant vigilance mode until May 31st, and then we will have to reevaluate and see if we think this bill is going to come back next year," Estrada says.
