Category: Jail

A Homeschool Law That Could Criminalize Parents and Threaten Jail Time

Illinois bureaucrats are here to protect your kids... from you.

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People can’t get out of Illinois fast enough. Only two other states lost more residents between 2023–24, and the state has lost population for 10 years in a row. The tax burden, weather, heavy regulation, and crime levels all contribute to its residents seeking an exit. So, taking this mass exodus into account, you’d think the state would try to appeal to the families that remain. Well, think again. The Cubs (and maybe even the White Sox) are more likely to win another World Series before Illinois considers the plight of the family.

In an alarming move that should concern every freedom-loving American, Illinois lawmakers are advancing House Bill 2827, known as the “Homeschool Act.” It’s an ill-conceived piece of legislation that should be renamed “The Illinois Family Exit Act” because, no doubt, many families will be looking for an exit if this monstrosity is signed into law.

It appears Illinois officials are feeling the pressure, as they have turned out amendments over the last 24 hours in an attempt to make this bill appear more palatable. Please keep up the pressure and add your name to our petition: Stop Indoctrinating Our Kids. This bill is riddled with so many issues that it must be defeated. Here's what we know at this point.

This legislation directly threatens the rights of parents to educate their children, particularly those who choose homeschooling for religious or moral reasons. When the bill was introduced, it garnered a massive negative response among Illinois citizens. Homeschool families valuing their educational freedom signed witness slips in opposition to the tune of over 50,000 in 24 hours.

Advancing out of committee on an 8-4 vote, with one vote present, this bill is deceptively framed as a measure to ensure “safety” and “accountability” but would require all homeschooling families in Illinois to register with the State Board of Education or face automatic criminal penalties. Because the bill also contains a provision for “school inspections,” it opens the door to unprecedented state intrusion into the private decisions of families – most of whom are providing their children with a quality, values-based education out of deep and sincere convictions. Imagine surprise home inspections conducted against homeschool families at the whim of the state.

There is no credible evidence of widespread issues in the homeschooling community that would justify such sweeping government intervention. Yet that hasn’t stopped this legislation from moving forward. In fact, in big-government fashion, the bill’s sponsor, State House Representative Terra Costa Howard (IL-48), and other supporters are more concerned with government regulation than religious and educational freedom, justifying this overreach for Illinois by saying, “38 other states also have regulations.” My response: As with any legislation, the devil is in the details. Regulation is one thing; onerous burdens intended to drive out conservative homeschool families or imprison them – jail time for those who don’t timely comply – is quite another.

According to Focus on the Family’s Daily Citizen, “While 38 other states do require parents to sign a declaration to educate in their homes, none of them have criminalized those who do not. Illinois would be the first.” Overall, Rep. Howard’s arguments are uncompelling at best. And apparently, Rep. Howard wants to make sure home school families are keeping their children alive, proudly declaring in an interview that the bill is necessary to make sure “we know that kids are alive, where they are, we want to make sure that they are okay.”

Hear that, parents? Illinois bureaucrats are here to protect your kids. . . from you.

Legal experts and education advocates are raising concerns that this legislation creates a direct pipeline from the home to the criminal justice system. Families who fail to comply – whether intentionally or simply due to bureaucratic confusion – could face investigations, fines, or worse. This is not about improving education; it’s about treating parents like criminals.

Rather than comporting with public school regulations, parents choosing to homeschool their children would be subjected to unimaginable government intrusion. The Homeschool Act carves out a potential criminal penalty for parents for missing the filing deadline or the associated 10-day grace period. This sets up a two-tiered system of prosecution, as public school truants are not prosecuted to the extent Illinois would prosecute homeschool families under this law.

Section 60 outlines a process for triggering investigations and enforcement actions when a parent fails to file the required form, which results in the student being presumed truant. It grants regional education offices the authority to review a homeschooler’s file and refer findings of “educational neglect” or inadequate education to the State Attorney’s Office, Department of Education, or local law enforcement.

Page 40 of Amendment 002 contains an extremely problematic addition that would require a state official to interview a child, stating:

(b) The truant officer or county truant officer notified of a homeschool in violation of Section 30 of the Homeschool Act, shall meet with the child or children complained of and make an initial determination of whether there is cause to start a truancy investigation.

(c) The truant officer or county truant officer who determines there is no cause to start a truancy investigation shall report the reasons for the determination to their respective office, and shall assist the homeschool in submitting the homeschool notification form in whatever way practicable. (Emphasis mine.)

The language used here is “shall.” The verb choice is powerful in this context as it is a mandatory action, and there is no flexibility. If it were optional, the language would be “may” or “may as seemed/deemed fit or appropriate.” This is critically important.

The response from the public has been swift and unmistakable. Thousands of concerned citizens rallied at the Illinois Capitol in protest on the day of the committee hearing. Families, educators, and advocates stood together to defend their rights and their children’s futures – sending a loud and clear message: We will not be silent while the government attempts to take control of our homes. Many were turned away by law enforcement as there was no room left inside the Capitol.

This bill is not about safety. It’s about power – undermining parental authority and stripping away religious liberty under the cover of regulation. It sets a dangerous precedent that other states could follow if it succeeds. It’s a direct affront to parental rights and school choice and smacks of the worst kind of governmental paternalism – believing that the government and not the citizenry knows best how to conduct their lives.

At the ACLJ, we stand ready to engage in this fight. We’ve defended the rights of parents and homeschoolers for decades, and we won’t stop now. The Constitution is on our side. Parental rights are not negotiable. Religious liberty is not optional. Join us in this fight and add your name to our petition: Stop Sexualizing and Indoctrinating Our Kids.

Victor Davis Hanson: The Left Couldn’t Throw Trump in Jail. Marine Le Pen Wasn’t So Lucky

While the radical Left in America failed to imprison President Donald Trump, their Europeans counterparts are having a successful time prosecuting their political enemies, argues Victor Davis Hanson on today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words:” “Europe is copying the lawfare of the United States. Remember that Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Fani Willis, Jack Smith, and E. Jean Carroll, in civil and criminal suits, for four years tried to destroy Donald Trump. And they had over $400 million in fines that were leveled at one point. And there were 91 felony indictments… “Ms. Le Pen, the head of the most conservative party in France, who has got enormous momentum. Enormous momentum, because, of the violence of radical Islamic groups, inside France. The open borders, the dissatisfaction with the blank check, given Ukraine, etc., I could go on and on… “[The high court] said that she had expropriate funds, campaign funds. In other words, that she was blending—does this sounds familiar—blending her own campaign with funds allotted from the European Union, for other purposes. In other words, there was a difference—a distinction without a difference.

Trump Empty’s NYC Jails; Deporting All Migrants

ICE agents are now allowed back inside NYC's jails, where they will take into custody criminals with immigration violations. This has local officials and activists up in arms, who feel immigrant communities in New York are now under attack, but proponents say increased ICE operations will make the entire city safer by removing dangerous individuals and gang members.

CHARLIE KIRK: J6ers NOT BEING RELEASED FROM DC JAIL AFTER PARDON~GLENN BECK REPORTS ALSO

Are DC Prisons IGNORING Trump's J6 Pardons?!

Rumors have spread that prison officials in Washington DC are refusing to release many January 6th prisoners, despite President Trump’s pardons for 1500 of them. Sen. Mike Lee tells Glenn that this appears to be true. He explains how he has looked into the situation and argues, “from what we can tell, they haven’t complied with it yet. It’s yet another reason to revisit DC’s Home Rule, which I think should be repealed.” Sen. Lee also weighs in on why he believes Biden’s decision to pardon members of the Jan. 6 Committee will be GOOD for the Republic: since they can no longer plead the 5th, “we can finally get to the bottom of exactly what happened.” So, will Congress “subpoena the heck out of” them?

96.9% of Americans Charged with Hunter Biden’s Gun Crimes Get Jail Time

Ammoland Inc. Posted on  by 
Lies Lie Detector Liar Concept of lies Lie detector Adobe Stock 76207749
Lies Lie Detector Liar Concept of lies Lie detector Adobe Stock 76207749

In the run-up to the 2024 Presidential election, President Joe Biden vowed not to use his presidential authority to pardon his son, Hunter Biden. He has doubled down multiple times through states and his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, but now he has backtracked and pardoned his son, who was convicted of lying on an ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) Form 4473 and was accused of tax evasion.

Hunter Biden was arrested and successfully prosecuted for lying on an ATF Form 4473 that he filled out when he purchased a revolver from a Delaware gun shop. The firearm was recovered from a dumpster after his lover and dead brother’s wife disposed of it. When Hunter purchased the handgun, he was an addicted user of crack cocaine. Hunter would mark that he was not an unlawful user of drugs on the form.

After being charged, the younger Biden was offered a sweetheart deal not in line with those provided to others accused of lying on the government form. The judge rejected that deal, sending the case to a jury trial. He would be convicted on all charges and was waiting for sentencing. Even after the felony conviction, his father would maintain that there was no chance that he would pardon his son.

Hunter Biden was also facing charges of tax evasion. He allegedly hid large sums of money from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Hunter has always blamed his tax issues on his addictions. There have also been accusations of Hunter selling access to his father when Joe Biden was Vice President. Critics claim that the President’s son made millions from the scheme, leading some on the Republican side of the aisle to refer to the family as the “Biden Crime Family.”

Late Sunday night, President Joe Biden would break his promise not to use his presidential power to pardon his son. He claimed that the Democrat-run Department of Justice (DOJ) targeted his son for political reasons. He claimed his son did nothing wrong when lying on the 4473 because there wasn’t a victim. President Biden said almost no one is charged with lying on a 4473. Quick research shows that several hundred people each year are charged with lying on the ATF gun purchase form.

The President wrote: “Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted. Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently.”

The DOJ issued a press release in January of last year stating that it is “aggressively pursuing those who lie in connection with firearms transactions.” The ATF and the DOJ are taking a hard line on those who lie when purchasing a firearm. The press release included examples of Americans charged and convicted of the same crime as Hunter Biden. Many wonder if President Biden will pardon these Americans as well.

United States Attorney Robert J. “Bob” Troester wrote: “Federal law prohibits knowingly making any false statement in connection with purchasing, or attempting to purchase, a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) requires prospective firearm buyers to complete ATF Form 4473. This Form requires buyers to answer several questions, including those about the buyer’s competency, criminal history, drug use, immigration status, and history with domestic violence. Applicants who knowingly make false statements may also face criminal prosecution for a felony and up to 10 years in federal prison.”

The ATF even had an operation that included going after people lying on a 4473. “Project Safe Neighborhoods” was a nationwide effort to catch and prosecute those lying on a 4473. The ATF and the DOJ disagree with the President’s accusation that lying on a 4473 isn’t a big deal. According to both agencies, the crimes are serious, and the government should be pursuing the violators with all available resources.

“Keeping guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them is of paramount concern,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “We will use the tools available to us to pursue those who use a straw purchaser or lie when trying to buy a gun. We will continue to work closely with ATF and our law enforcement partners to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands by holding accountable those who lie to get them.”

President Biden also insists that his son’s alleged tax evasion should be forgiven because of his addiction to crack cocaine at the time the crime was committed. Many will point out that the U.S. prison system is full of people who commit crimes because of their addictions. This contradiction causes many to think that President Biden is acting hypocritical by pardoning his son, not just for going back on his promise but for his push to prosecute aggressively those citizens who commit similar crimes. Others claim this is an example of a two-tiered justice system where the rich and powerful can commit crimes with impunity, even though Biden has stated many times in the past that “no one is above the law.”

Hunter Biden issued a statement on the pardon after it was made public by the White House. He blamed politics for his convictions. Hunter said he would dedicate his life to helping people who are “sick and suffering.” He thanked his family for supporting him through his trials.

Hunter Biden’s Statement: “I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction — mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport. Despite all of this, I have maintained my sobriety for more than five years because of my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends. In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages. In recovery we can be given the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives if we never take for granted the mercy that we have been afforded. I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”

Hunter Biden’s legal team has filed motions with the courts in both cases to have them dismissed because of the pardon.

About John Crump

Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.