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2017 Session – HB 2842, Occupational and Professional Licensing Equity Bill
Title: Contact House Business & Labor Committee Members
Urgent Action Requested: 1. Pray that a hearing for HB 2842 will be scheduled. 2. Email or call committee members to request a hearing on HB 2842.
Summary: At this time HB 2842 is has not been scheduled for a hearing in the House Business & Labor Committee. In order for to bill to progress, it needs to have a hearing in this committee.
Alert: Pray that the Lord will grant us favor with these Legislators and that this bill will strengthen homeschool freedom. Ask the committee members to please hold a hearing on this bill and move it to the House floor with a Do Pass recommendation. In your own words, give reasons that make sense to you. If you personally know of an instance where the current discrimination has hurt a homeschool graduate, then let the committee know. If one of the committee members is your Representative, let them know you are their constituent.
Who to contact: Business & Labor Committee Members
Chair Paul Holvey (D)
Rep.PaulHolvey@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1408
Representative Greg Barreto (R)
Rep.GregBarreto@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1458
Representative Janelle Bynum (D)
Rep.JanelleBynum@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1451
Representative Dallas Heard (R)
Rep.DallasHeard@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1402
Representative Julie Fahey (D)
Rep.JulieFahey@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1414
Representative Jodi Hack (R)
Rep.JodiHack@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1419
Representative Paul Evans (D)
Rep.PaulEvans@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1420
Representative Margaret Doherty (D)
Rep.MargaretDoherty@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1435
Representative Bill Kennemer (R)
Rep.BillKennemer@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1439
Finding Your Oregon Senator & Representative
Go to https://www.oregonlegislature.gov. Locate the Legislator Finder section on the page. Enter your residence address, press “Go”. It will display a map and a pop-up window with your two legislators’ contact information.
Thank you for standing with OCEANetwork as we defend homeschooling freedoms in Oregon.
– The OCEANetwork Freedom Watch Committee
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
HB 2842 corrects the inequality that exists between a homeschool and a public school diploma for the purpose of occupational and professional licensing in Oregon. HB 2842 is stalled without a hearing in the House Business & Labor Committee. The committee needs to hear from you that it is important for this bill to move forward.
Homeschool graduates are being discriminated against by government licensing agencies because a homeschool diploma is not considered as an “acceptable” alternative to a public high school diploma. So, homeschool graduates are forced to pass the GED test to obtain an occupational or professional license. Homeschooled electricians, plumbers, real estate brokers, private unarmed security guards, and law enforcement officers are among those required to get a GED.
This discrimination against homeschool graduates is wrong for the following reasons:
1. Private schools are less regulated than homeschoolers, yet their graduates are not required to get a GED. Only homeschoolers face this requirement.
2. Homeschoolers are fulfilling Oregon’s legal requirements for student education. That should be enough to honor their high school diplomas.
3. It is unfair to require homeschool graduates to demonstrate the details of high school proficiency years after graduation. Neither public school nor private school graduates are required to do so.
This bill stops the discrimination by making a homeschool diploma legally equivalent to a public school diploma for purposes of professional licensing in Oregon. It’s time to acknowledge that homeschool graduates deserve an equal opportunity to pursue occupational and professional licensing in Oregon.