NC Senator Bill Cook's Legislative Update: June 04, 2013 | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

    The Governor signed my Senate Bill 189, amending the homeschool law in NC, into law this past Thursday. In light of that, I wanted to give a brief history of homeschooling in North Carolina. Many thanks to North Carolinas for Home Education for providing me with much background information on this subject.

A Brief History of Homeschooling in North Carolina

    Homeschooling is now widely accepted in North Carolina as a good alternative method of education. This was not always the case - in the 1980's home educators faced a very different climate.

    In 1979, a bill passed that removed private schools from the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and put them under the newly established Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE), which meant the state did not have jurisdiction over curriculum, textbooks, or teacher qualifications. They were limited to regulating attendance, health, and safety.

    This began a long legal battle with families arguing they had a legal and Constitutional right to educate their own children. DPI and the NC Association of Educators (NCAE) opposed homeschooling. However, public interest in homeschooling continued to grow.

    In 1985, the NC Supreme Court ruled that homeschooling was allowed under the private school law passed in '79. While homeschoolers were relieved at this victory, now began the fight against regulation, as DPI and the NCAE continued to oppose homeschooling in North Carolina, and suggested a set of rigidly strict rules to govern homeschooling.

    Homeschoolers across the state disapproved of these suggested requirements. After much lobbying, a homeschooling law was passed in 1987. While the law that passed was not perfect, it did allow homeschoolers to have control over how they would educate their children with minimal government interference.

    The DNPE chose to narrowly interpret what homeschooling was in North Carolina, which restricted parental rights to choose the best methods of educating their children. So this year homeschoolers reached out to legislators to clarify that a homeschool parent has the right to determine both the scope and sequence of their children's education. House President Pro Tem Paul "Skip" Stam worked very hard on this legislation, making sure that various homeschool groups were consulted in the drafting of this new legislation.

    I filed this bill in the Senate, with Senators Chad Barefoot and Norm Sanderson joining me as primary sponsors. An identical bill was filed in the House by Representative Chris Malone, with Representatives Susan Martin, Mark Brody, and Ruth Samuelson joining as primary sponsors. Both bills received a large number of cosponsors, and passed both chambers unanimously.

    Oregon Inlet

    I am pleased to report that my efforts to bring attention to the Oregon Inlet problem at Hatteras Island have begun to bear fruit. For many years this inlet has been neglected with the federal government only dredging it in emergency situations. With the resultant shoaling, this important coastal waterway became very difficult to traverse, causing great disruption to commercial and recreational boating. It has become clear to me that our state must adopt a more active role in protecting this critical inlet as the federal government has discontinued its support of inlet maintenance.

    After much work and many discussions with folks in the Senate Pro Tempore's Office, an Oregon Inlet Land Acquisition Task Force is proposed in the Senate budget. The task force will determine the state's options for acquiring the federal government's interest in Oregon Inlet and adjacent property. Acquiring this property will allow the State to preserve Oregon Inlet and provide solutions for enhancing its navigability. Improvements to the Inlet will foster critical economic rejuvenation for this portion of the State's Outer Banks.

    Sponsorship Update

    Since the bill filing deadline is passed, there will be no more sponsorship updates, as no new pieces of legislation will be filed. However, you can keep track of all the bills I have sponsored or cosponsored here .

    Contact Information

    My office contact information is shown below. If you like my newsletter, share it with your friends. If not, let me know and you will be removed from our distribution list.

    Mailing Address:

    300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 525
     Raleigh, NC 27603
     (919) 715-8293     cookla@ncleg.net or bill.cook@ncleg.net