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HOMESCHOOLIOWA.ORGThe newly designed SF 149 traveled first to the Demo-
crat-controlled House for approval. There, it quickly and
easily passed and was rushed across the rotunda to the
Democrat-controlled Senate. The circumstances appeared
grim, at best.
Homeschoolers packed the Senate chamber balcony in
silence to watch the proceedings. The floor debate com-
menced. Well-worn statements, both pro and con, were
orated. Then, a quite unexpected thing happened.
Senator Jim Riordan, recognized as a loyal Democrat,
rose to speak. Yes, this was the same Senator Riordan
who had been invited to a meeting of the Dallas County
Homeschool Support Group just months earlier! Sena-
tor Riordan boldly proclaimed his opposition to SF 149.
Why? Because he was aware that this bill would adversely
affect the homeschooling families he had come to know
personally in his district – folks who he had regularly seen
and heard, faithfully petitioning the legislature for pro-
tection. Senator Riordan declared that home educators
should have the freedom, based upon the Constitution to
practice their beliefs, and announced that he would vote
against SF 149. (Senator Riordan later noted that several
Democrat Party leaders had rebuked him for taking this
action.) Following Senator Riordan’s remarks, several other
senators rose to defend the right to homeschool from a
Constitutional perspective.
At last, it came time for the final vote. Homeschoolers
in the Senate gallery were praying fervently. The votes
were tallied: 25 for the motion to approve the bill, and
24 against. Homeschoolers in the gallery gasped as they
sensed defeat. Yet, God was not finished. The Senate Presi-
dent Pro Tempore announced that the motion needed an
absolute majority – in other words, the motion needed 26
votes – to pass.
Continued on page 10
Extensive mediation and violation sections, with
punishments defined up to thirty days in jail or fines
of $1000.
Stipulations that required truancy officers to im-
mediately report suspected truants to the county
attorney – and that required the county attorney to
investigate unexcused absences to determine if the
child required CINA.
Conditions allowing only homeschools in which an
Iowa licensed teacher provided the children direct
instruction an exemption from a long list of addi-
tional requirements (no private supervising teacher
arrangements were defined).
Directives that required all students in homeschools
without an Iowa licensed teacher providing direct
instruction to:
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Undergo an initial screening by the Area
Education Agency (AEA) or other approved
source to determine whether the child needed
special education services – under the condi-
tion that this initial screening be completed
by June 1 of the year before the child began
homeschooling,
Submit to annual testing to determine wheth-
er adequate progress was being made, and
Dual enroll in the public school – and every
school district was required to hire licensed
personnel to “provide instructional services
on a consulting basis” to dual enrolled home-
schooled students.
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