American Government & Economics
Current Events
State of Minnesota HF 874
Educational liberty is essential! As parents, we cherish the freedom to educate our children according to the principles and philosophies that matter to us. Currently, this freedom is being directly challenged by MN state legislators in a very serious way.
On February 8, 2021, a bill was introduced in the Minnesota House designed to eliminate educational liberty in the State of Minnesota.
HF 874 seeks to amend the Minnesota State Constitution to include the following:
"All children have a fundamental right to a quality public education that fully prepares them with the skills necessary for participation in the economy, our democracy, and society, as measured against uniform achievement standards set forth by the state. It is a paramount duty of the state to ensure quality public schools that fulfill this fundamental right."
With this amendment, public education would be made a "fundamental right" for all children in Minnesota. That might sound nice, but it means exactly what it says. If public education is legally declared to be a "fundamental right" of all children in our state according to the state constitution, then depriving your children of a public education would be to deny them one of their constitutional rights!
Therefore, if this amendment were ultimately to become enshrined in our state's constitution, it would effectively make homeschooling and private education illegal. Any parent who did not send their children to public schools would be legally depriving their children of a "fundamental right," and this would have very serious legal consequences.
NOTE: This is not the first time that this bill has been proposed. It was proposed in 2020 and defeated in committee. Even if liberty-minded constituents are able to defeat it again this time, constant diligence will be required because it will undoubtedly be proposed yet again.
On February 8, 2021, a bill was introduced in the Minnesota House designed to eliminate educational liberty in the State of Minnesota.
HF 874 seeks to amend the Minnesota State Constitution to include the following:
"All children have a fundamental right to a quality public education that fully prepares them with the skills necessary for participation in the economy, our democracy, and society, as measured against uniform achievement standards set forth by the state. It is a paramount duty of the state to ensure quality public schools that fulfill this fundamental right."
With this amendment, public education would be made a "fundamental right" for all children in Minnesota. That might sound nice, but it means exactly what it says. If public education is legally declared to be a "fundamental right" of all children in our state according to the state constitution, then depriving your children of a public education would be to deny them one of their constitutional rights!
Therefore, if this amendment were ultimately to become enshrined in our state's constitution, it would effectively make homeschooling and private education illegal. Any parent who did not send their children to public schools would be legally depriving their children of a "fundamental right," and this would have very serious legal consequences.
NOTE: This is not the first time that this bill has been proposed. It was proposed in 2020 and defeated in committee. Even if liberty-minded constituents are able to defeat it again this time, constant diligence will be required because it will undoubtedly be proposed yet again.
| hf874_letter_of_opposition.pdf |
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