Schwarzenegger Pledges to Support Right to Home School

'This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts,' he says.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for the reversal of a recent appellate court decision banning parents from educating their children at home if they lack teaching credentials, the Los Angeles Times reported. If the state Supreme Court fails to act, the governor vowed to push through legislation guaranteeing families' right to home-school.

"This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts, and if the courts don't protect parents' rights, then, as elected officials, we will," he said in a written statement.

Schwarzenegger's comments about the 2nd District Court of Appeals ruling came as home schooling families and national conservative leaders expressed their beliefs that every parent has a fundamental right to home-school.

Dr. James C. Dobson interrupted the Focus on the Family radio program's regular programming to discuss the ruling.

"What has occurred is yet another egregious decision handed down by a California appeals court that strikes at the very heart and soul of families and their children," he said on Friday's broadcast. "The court has assaulted parental rights again, and this time with a sledgehammer."

TAKE ACTION
We are asking concerned citizens across America to sign a petition asking the state Supreme Court to "depublish" the case, which means to apply the case to the family involved — not to all California families. More than 175,000 people already have signed the petition.

Thank Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for supporting parents' rights to home-school.

I hope nobody is terribly surprised by this:

Planned Parenthood Accused of Overbilling Government 

Planned Parenthood affiliates in California are being sued after allegedly overcharging the state and federal governments by $180 million for birth-control pills. A former executive filed the lawsuit.

Victor Gonzalez, former vice president of finance and administration of the Los Angeles affiliate, said he was fired for questioning Planned Parenthood’s “illegal accounting, billing and donations practices,” which began in the late 1990s and continued until 2004.

Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, is accused of purchasing contraceptives and other medicines at discounted rates and then billing the state “12 or more times their purchase rate.”

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman said there are increasing reports of alleged illegalities at Planned Parenthood affiliates across the nation. A Kansas clinic is facing 107 criminal charges.

“In light of this new revelation that Planned Parenthood could be committing financial fraud that has cost taxpayers over $180 million, Operation Rescue renews its call for a federal investigation and a halt to funding of Planned Parenthood affiliates across the nation,” he told California Catholic Daily.

Maryland Residents to Vote on Gender-Identity Bill 

Voters in Montgomery County, Md., will get to decide if gender confusion warrants special rights, thanks to a petition organized by the Maryland Citizens for a Responsible Government.

The petition opposes the newly passed gender-identity bill, which provides special privileges to people with gender-identity confusion — including access to restrooms and locker rooms. The privacy and safety of the county’s 500,000 women and children could be at risk. The law is on hold until the November vote.

Maryland Citizens for a Responsible Government collected 32,000 signatures to let voters decide the issue, more than the 25,001 required.

Jeff Johnston, gender issues analyst for Focus on the Family, applauded the grassroots effort.

“For the county to mandate that businesses and individuals accommodate gender confusion is to cooperate with deep-seated spiritual and psychological brokenness,” he said. “While we have care and concern for those who are at war with their God-given gender, it is wrong for the county to encourage those individuals in their brokenness.”

Culture Vultures 

Columnist E.J. Dionne is the latest to write a premature obituary for the values voter movement, proclaiming in Sunday's Washington Post, "The era of the religious right is over." Dionne's argument, which he bases on Sen. John McCain's GOP nomination, is that the senator's victory was a result of his focus on national security, not social issues. Of course, Dionne's presumption is nothing new-nor is the growing evidence to the contrary. Every indication from the primary exit polls is that the social conservative movement is not only alive but gaining ground. The number of states with a pro-life majority among their Republican primary voters, including Texas and Ohio, has soared to 19 out of 24. Fifteen of those states register 60 percent or higher on the pro-life scale! In the coming weeks the focus of these pro-life conservatives will be on two major decisions McCain must make where wrong choices will cost him: his selection for Vice President and his support or non-support for continuation of the pro-life and pro-marriage GOP platform planks. Dionne is just the latest scribe to insist on holding a funeral for a body that refuses to die. The first chapter of my new book, Personal Faith, Public Policy explains why he and other seers shouldn't hold their breath. To order your copy, log on to www.frc.org.

Secretary's Day Has Come and Gone 

After a month and a half of detention, Chinese officials have released two church leaders who were arrested for leading a youth Bible study. China Aid credits the international community for bringing attention to the case--no thanks to America's State Department. Secretary Rice continues to ignore FRC's request, and that of a dozen congressmen, to intervene in the case of 21 pastors who were sentenced to Chinese labor camps for practicing their faith. A White House official told us that if we didn't hear back from the State Department in five days to contact him again. That was two weeks ago. Like those in captivity, we can't help but wonder what has become of the world's biggest advocate of religious freedom.