The latest effort at a Tebow Bill, this one introduced by State Sen. Tom Garrett, R-Buckingham, SB612, reported out of the Senate Education & Health Committee on a 8-7, party-line vote on Thursday.
The bill would have Virginia join the 30 states that currently allow homeschoolers to participate in competitive sports at their local high schools.
Speaking before the vote, Senator Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said, “You’re paying the taxes that support that school, but you’re also paying the taxes that pay for that B-1 bomber, but you don’t get to fly it. If your kid wants to play football, send him to the public high school. You’re either in or you’re out.”
In a statement, Senator George Barker (D-Alexandria) said, “Public school athletics are an incentive to our public school students to achieve both inside the classroom and out. There are attendance requirements and there are good-conduct requirements. Parents have every right to decide whether their kids attend public school, private school, or whether to home school them – but public school athletics are part of the package for public school students. This is a choice that families need to make.”