The 88th Session of the Texas Legislature is now in session.
Bills have been filed since November, and staffers and legislators have already been reviewing bills. The Texas Senate has already announced the makeup of its committees for this session, and the House is expected to do so by the middle of February.
Only bills that concern issues declared by the Governor as emergency issues can be acted upon during the first 60 days of the session. So, at this point, most of the time in the legislature is focused on pending bills and speculation in the House of what Committee makeup will look like.
The Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) and our new sister organization, the Family Freedom Project (FFP), are engaged with our Policy team and the THSC Watchmen in this process as well.
We are often reminded of that old saying, “No man’s freedom or property is safe when the legislature is in session.”
As we remind families, our freedom to homeschool is at risk every time the legislature meets as a bill could be presented at any time that would restrict homeschooling in Texas.
That is why our team is in Austin every session. Our team is there to review every bill that relates to homeschooling or parental rights and give input to legislators who are interested or to sound the alarm to the hundreds of thousands of families in Texas should action be needed to defend our freedom as parents and families.
This session, we are prioritizing two measures to amend the Texas Constitution.
While a constitutional amendment is extraordinarily difficult as it requires ⅔ support in the House and the Senate and then a majority support of voters, it also is a way to safeguard against efforts in the courts to undermine homeschooling and parental rights.
Representative Cody Vasut has filed HJR37, an amendment to prohibit state or local authorities from regulating private schools, including homeschools. This would enshrine our right to homeschool free from government interference in the Texas Constitution, which would make it extremely difficult to overturn.
Representative Dustin Burrows has filed HJR85, which would protect the fundamental God-given right of parents to raise their children and limit the government from interfering in the life of families.
As the efforts of numerous groups and individuals are seeking more and more to undermine parents’ role in raising their children, this is a huge effort that would elevate the protection of children and families in Texas.
We will be prioritizing these efforts as these efforts, if successful, could protect families and children for generations to come.
Help us in our mission to protect homeschool freedom and in our efforts to keep you updated on the latest legislative news.
If you agree with us and support our mission to support parents, join THSC or become a supporter and help us stand in the gap for the families of Texas.
Subscribe to our newsletters to receive important updates.
Tim Lambert, THSC President
Tim Lambert, has been the president of the Texas Home School Coalition since 1990 and involved in homeschool leadership since 1984. He and his wife Lyndsay taught their four now-grown children at home for 16 years, graduating the last two in 2000. As the head of the organization for the leading home school state in the country, he is recognized as an authority on home education issues.
Tim has testified before numerous Texas legislative committees on issues related to homeschooling and often deals with state government agencies, including the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. He has also addressed such conferences as the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers on the topic. He holds a B.A. in political science from Texas Tech University and is active in the political arena, serving eight years as Republican National Committeeman for Texas. Tim is committed to serving the homeschooling community and to protecting parents’ right to choose the method of education of their children.
The 88th Session of the Texas Legislature is now in session.
Bills have been filed since November, and staffers and legislators have already been reviewing bills. The Texas Senate has already announced the makeup of its committees for this session, and the House is expected to do so by the middle of February.
Only bills that concern issues declared by the Governor as emergency issues can be acted upon during the first 60 days of the session. So, at this point, most of the time in the legislature is focused on pending bills and speculation in the House of what Committee makeup will look like.
The Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) and our new sister organization, the Family Freedom Project (FFP), are engaged with our Policy team and the THSC Watchmen in this process as well.
We are often reminded of that old saying, “No man’s freedom or property is safe when the legislature is in session.”
As we remind families, our freedom to homeschool is at risk every time the legislature meets as a bill could be presented at any time that would restrict homeschooling in Texas.
That is why our team is in Austin every session. Our team is there to review every bill that relates to homeschooling or parental rights and give input to legislators who are interested or to sound the alarm to the hundreds of thousands of families in Texas should action be needed to defend our freedom as parents and families.
This session, we are prioritizing two measures to amend the Texas Constitution.
While a constitutional amendment is extraordinarily difficult as it requires ⅔ support in the House and the Senate and then a majority support of voters, it also is a way to safeguard against efforts in the courts to undermine homeschooling and parental rights.
Representative Cody Vasut has filed HJR37, an amendment to prohibit state or local authorities from regulating private schools, including homeschools. This would enshrine our right to homeschool free from government interference in the Texas Constitution, which would make it extremely difficult to overturn.
Representative Dustin Burrows has filed HJR85, which would protect the fundamental God-given right of parents to raise their children and limit the government from interfering in the life of families.
As the efforts of numerous groups and individuals are seeking more and more to undermine parents’ role in raising their children, this is a huge effort that would elevate the protection of children and families in Texas.
We will be prioritizing these efforts as these efforts, if successful, could protect families and children for generations to come.
Help us in our mission to protect homeschool freedom and in our efforts to keep you updated on the latest legislative news.
If you agree with us and support our mission to support parents, join THSC or become a supporter and help us stand in the gap for the families of Texas.
Subscribe to our newsletters to receive important updates.
Tim Lambert, THSC President
Tim Lambert, has been the president of the Texas Home School Coalition since 1990 and involved in homeschool leadership since 1984. He and his wife Lyndsay taught their four now-grown children at home for 16 years, graduating the last two in 2000. As the head of the organization for the leading home school state in the country, he is recognized as an authority on home education issues.
Tim has testified before numerous Texas legislative committees on issues related to homeschooling and often deals with state government agencies, including the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. He has also addressed such conferences as the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers on the topic. He holds a B.A. in political science from Texas Tech University and is active in the political arena, serving eight years as Republican National Committeeman for Texas. Tim is committed to serving the homeschooling community and to protecting parents’ right to choose the method of education of their children.
