By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On the first day of the legislative session, the various Alabama Tea Party groups were there in front of the Capital building to promote their legislative agenda and express dissatisfaction with the pace of conservative change in the State of Alabama.
Wetumpka Tea Party founder and President Becky Gerritson said that the principles of limited government are under assault by government at every level. Gerritson said that liberty is under assault, whether that is coming from the federal government with Obamacare or from officials at the county and local level seeking zoning powers and new powers to tax us.
Gerritson said that we were chosen by God for this very time. Gerritson said that the effort to overturn the Common Core Standards was a “fight for our children.” Gerritson warned that the progressives are leading our children away from God. Gerritson said, “Our enemies surround us.” “This battle can not be fought or won without your participation.”
Becky Gerritson is a frequent guest contributor on Fox News and will appear on air with Neil Cavuto this week.
Alabama Senator Scott Beason (R) from Gardendale addressed the crowd asking for support of his bill to repeal the unpopular Common Core standards. Sen. Beason said that the Founders of this country were for education. They saw education as having two major purposes: to teach the Bible and morality and to teach people so that they would be good citizens who would understand history and defend the country:
“History is about a world view it always has been…About half of the people in the country think Socialism is o.k. Where did they get that? Their mommies and daddies didn’t teach them that. They didn’t learn this at Church.”
Sen. Beason blamed progressive indoctrination in our school systems. The Senator from Jefferson County cited as an example a lesson that his children brought home about cars. The lesson told that cars let us travel to and from work and stores then said, “But there is also no doubt that cars are slowly killing our planet.” The author then went on to talk about the EPA, pollution, and Global warming followed by the opinion that, “Hybrid cars are the best choices for consumers.” Another lesson later said that even hybrid cars were a threat to the planet and said that mass transit was a better choice. Sen. Beason said that that whole class was taught a specific political message in elementary school and this was just one small example of schools being used to teach the same liberal, progressive viewpoint to children at taxpayer expense.
Sen. Beason said that the educrats in this state are all for the Common Core Standards because they get money in the form of federal grants for implementing the Obama administration supported Common Core Standards.
Keynote speaker John Killian told the crowd, “And a legislature elected on a platform of values and limited government can do no less than to disregard and dissemble the Federal program of Common Core Standards in Education. I would plead with you– put the information out there for the public and I will guarantee you that parents and teachers do not want Common Core!”
Sen. Beason also spoke in favor of passing pro-Life legislation in this session. Beason said, “There is no reason that we are not the strongest pro-Life state in the country. We should be #1 in football and #1 in pro-life legislation.”
Senator Beason exhorted the crowd, “Each and every one of you has got to be that burning ember that goes back into your community and starts a fire.”
Senator Dick Brewbaker (R) from Montgomery is the sponsor of the Protect our Schools Act, SB 38. The Protect our Schools Act would protect private schools from being regulated by the Alabama Department of Education.
Brewbaker said that this legislation was written after a 56 page document claiming that the State Department of Education had the authority to license public schools appeared on the state education website. The claim of private school regulatory authority was not based on new legislation passed in the last session of the state legislature. Instead it was relying on the Alabama Department of Education’s new interpretation of a 1976 law. Alabama State School Board member Stephanie Bell alerted the Governor and the plan was temporarily thwarted. Senate Bill 38 would strip the Alabama Superintendent of Education and the State Department of Education of what they believe are their new found powers to license and regulate non public education.
Sen. Brewbaker warned. “There is a group of people across the state that want to get control of non-public education.” This bill will guarantee the autonomy of non-public schools.
“Licensing sounds harmless, but the power to license is also the power….NOT to license. Brewbaker said that parents who send their children to private, church, and home schools do not need to be worrying about losing their license to teach.
John Killian said, “When you consider that which is an emergency, then pass legislation that would keep the state out of the business of our churches who operate Christian schools. The state can never usurp the role of parents to choose for their children. Whether private schools or home schools, please act now to remedy any potential problems for personal and family rights in education.”
The Welcome Back Rally is an annual event held by a coalition of Tea Party groups from throughout the state.
