Working for Illinois Caucus

Oswego Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit is asking homeschool families to keep an open mind about a proposal that would regulate homeschooling in Illinois.

House Bill 2827 has cleared committee and is now being debated in the Illinois House.

Kifowit says the goal is to make sure there are some basic guardrails in place for children.

"The basis of the bill was certainly not to punish or to infringe upon any of the good homeschoolers again some of them I know. Their kids did well in a homeschool environment and and I appreciate that," Kifowit said.

"But it is really getting to the individuals who are just bad actors and they use homeschooling as an excuse to keep their kids out of school and continue the cycle of abuse. And I I hate to say I personally know, two adult individuals that went through this and I have gotten emails, from now adults that said the only reason I was homeschooled was because I was abused and neglected and my parents did not wanna be found out."

Among other provisions, the bill would require homeschool guardians to notify the public school their child would otherwise attend.

Republican State Rep. Jed Davis of Newark is opposing the bill, saying it creates too much government oversight into people’s lives.