Arkansas’ New “Tim Tebow” Law is About School Choice

6 CommentsHome School,

Beginning this year, Arkansas home schoolers will be able to participate in interscholastic, extracurricular activities at their local public school.  Rep. Gunner Delay first introduced this concept in the Arkansas Legislature back in 2001.  It only took 12 years for this law to pass.

Why did it take so long?  Some in the education establishment seem to think it is their mission to preserve the status quo at all costs—even the education of our children.  That’s why they oppose anything that looks or smells like school choice.  The worst thing some of these folks can imagine is allowing parents the freedom to choose how to educate their children.  They don’t even want kids to be able to choose a different public school.

Thankfully, not everyone wants to build a “Berlin Wall” around the public schools.   In fact, some superintendents are viewing this new law as a way to roll out the red carpet and recruit some new students for their school.  They know that school choice is a two-way street and that some home schoolers just might choose to return to public school.

When all is said and done, this new law is about empowering parents to choose how their children are educated and that’s how it should be.

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Gay Activists Still Trying to Get Approval for Ballot Measures

Homosexuality, ,

Late yesterday afternoon, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel rejected a very oddly-worded proposal to repeal Amendment 83, Arkansas’ constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

Typically, a proposed constitutional amendment consists of a popular name, ballot title, and the text of the amendment itself. The group sponsoring the measure, however, submitted a popular name, “summary,” and ballot title; they did not provide the text of their amendment.

This, among other things, caused Attorney General McDaniel to reject the proposal.

Right now there are two efforts underway to undo Arkansas’ democratically-adopted constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. One effort purposes to legalize same-sex marriage outright in 2016. The other–which the Attorney General rejected yesterday–seeks to repeal Arkansas’ Marriage Amendment in 2014.

In 2004, 75% of Arkansas voters voted to define marriage as the union of one man to one woman. Recent polling indicates an overwhelming majority of Arkansans still support that amendment.

You can read the Attorney General’s full opinion here.

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Billy Graham Makes Final Call for America to Repent

Current Events, , ,

Billy GrahamAccording WND-Faith, Billy Graham is making what he dubs his “final call” for Americans to repent.

Over the course of sixty years, Graham has packed out stadiums where he preached the gospel. This November, however, he is taking his message to television and tablet screens, and he is encouraging everyone to tune in or log on to hear it.

Last July Graham penned a letter entitled, “My Heart Aches for America.” In the letter, Graham wrote,

“[M]illions of babies have been aborted and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered indulgence, pride, and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.

Just a few weeks ago in a prominent city in the South, Christian chaplains who serve the police department were ordered to no longer mention the Name of Jesus in prayer. It was reported that during a recent police-sponsored event, the only person allowed to pray was someone who addressed “the being in the room.” Similar scenarios are now commonplace in towns across America. Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone—except God.

(more…)

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