Legislative News

Florida must clarify parental rights law under settlement in ‘Don’t Say Gay’ lawsuit.:

The Florida Department of Education must clarify a controversial 2022 parental rights law branded as “Don’t Say Gay” by its critics under a settlement reached Monday that upholds a key DeSantis administration policy.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee expects a school choice 'revolution,' with parental rights a key 2024 election issue.:

Tennessee bill for universal school choice, Lee's 'Education Freedom Scholarships' voucher program, advances in state legislature.

‘Parental rights’ advocates pushing schools on race, gender, sexuality.:

Now ahead of upcoming school board and state Board of Education elections in November, parental rights advocates’ gripes with public education no longer focus on COVID-19 policies.

School choice bill pushed to next year could reshape Indiana education.: A school choice bill that would provide parents with a voucher payment usable for a range of education services is on hold for next year.

Florida school voucher program makes private schools more accessible for families.: Expanding school choice in Florida has made private school education more attainable for many families.

New Poll: Black Single Moms Want More School Choice — and Will Vote that Way. : 60% of respondents are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports school options, and half have thought about finding new schools for their kids.

As 2024 begins, lawmakers continue efforts to protect minors from transgender procedures.: After a year of major efforts to prohibit irreversible and untested transgender operations on young children, lawmakers across the U.S. are continuing the push to protect children from those procedures.

Florida sees its first major purge of public sector unions following passage of Republicans' anti-union law.: Thousands of public workers in Florida lost union representation last month, a result of anti-union legislation signed into law last year.

School policy experts weigh in on "Parental Bill of Rights".: The "Parental Bill of Rights" passed by party lines in the Assembly, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against, sparking continuing conversation over the need for the bill.

Indiana bill would enable public school students to receive off-site faith-based instruction during school day.: Indiana legislators are considering a bill that would allow “released-time” religious instruction for students during the school day at the discretion of their parents.

Gov. Kim Reynolds wants to reform Iowa’s special education agencies after 20 years of declining academics and lack of accountability.: Gov. Kim Reynolds is backing an effort to reform Iowa’s education agencies after reported mismanagement.

Emerging studies show charter school performance benefits students everywhere.: New studies on the efficacy of charter schools and the impact their presence has on local public schools are fueling the fire for school choice advocates.

Gov. Ron DeSantis calls out ‘bad actors’ on curriculum transparency, promises ‘consequences’ in Florida.: Summary: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continued to debunk the narrative that so-called “book bans” are occurring in Florida, saying that parents have a right to object to graphic sexual material that is not age appropriate.

Alabama school choice bill receives first public hearing.: On Wednesday, the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee met for a public hearing on the Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students Education (CHOOSE) Act of 2024.

ALEC and Other Conservative Groups Push School Choice: Andrew Handel in Governing.: Andrew Handel, ALEC Education and Workforce Development Task Force Director, was interviewed by Zina Hutton of Governing on the launch of the Education Freedom Alliance and its goal of expanding universal education freedom to 25 states by 2025.