Newburg Update on Daylight Curfew

Victory in Newberg!

Thank you for your prayers about the proposed daytime curfew in Newberg-Dundee. The proposed daytime curfew failed. Below you will find reports from two who attended the meeting: Wes Butler from OCEANetwork and April McGowan from Newberg Enjoy Learning Together support group.

I also heard from several of you that other cities in Oregon have daytime curfews. Here’s the list we currently know about.

Beaverton
Eugene
Keizer
McMinnville
Ontario
Pendleton
Portland
Salem
Springfield
Willamina

If you know of others, please email me at karmans@oceanetwork.org.

Yours for freedom,
Dorothy Karman
OCEANetwork


From Wes Butler, OCEANetwork Board member

I attended Newberg City Council meeting tonight, having become aware that this afternoon there was a hearing and public testimony regarding a daytime curfew ordinance. By all indication, they intended to pass this into law with a "sunset clause." There had been a previous work session a few months ago. April McGowan and Susan Dawson from the local home school support group and 3 other ladies gave testimony against the ordinance, along with myself. HSLDA had sent a fairly lengthy memorandum against daytime curfews signed by T.J . Schmidt. I informed the council that HSLDA has 85,000-90,000 families closely associated with it and that OCEANetwork has never supported daytime curfews as a state organization.

The mayor and five councilors were present. Because of the questions the council asked, I would have guessed a sure passage, especially with the escape route (sunset clause), that it would help fight crime, and the notion that 'it really won't hurt anything.' The final vote: one abstention (he may have proposed the bill), and 5 denying the passage of the ordinance.

By God's grace there is no daytime curfew in Newberg. Maybe in our spare time we should begin overturning these slippery-slope bad laws.

Wes Butler
OCEANETWORK


From April McGowan, Newberg Enjoy Learning Together support group

Victory for Homeschooling Freedom in Newberg

The Newberg City Council met to decide upon a day light curfew, Ordinance No. 2008-2007 on October 20, 2008.

After hearing Chief of Police Casey speak in favor of the ordinance, and after much discussion, also in favor of the ordinance by the city council, the public was invited to speak. In attendance was a representative from OCEANetwork, and five homeschooling families.


Each spoke from their own personal experiences and concerns. The council was very respectful in their questions, but had some trouble empathizing w ith our concerns about the day light curfew. Once we were done speaking, the council deliberated. To be frank, it didn't sound as though we had made much of an impact with our speeches. As there was no turnout by the private school sector, only the homeschooling sector, one of the councilors deducted that they must be in favor of the ordinance. Two of the council members were undecided – on the fence – and a third wanted to have more research done, and perhaps hear more arguments at another time. Then Councilor Marc Shelton spoke. He had empathized with us, and more over, was completely against the ordinance. He took issue with the statement that the private school system must be in favor of the ordinance because they hadn't attended the meeting. He stated that if the ordinance passed, then they would most certainly be hearing from them and many more homeschooling families.

At that time, Councilor President Bob Larson agreed with Councilor Shelton, as did Mayor Bob Andrews. Then, being swayed by the other councilor's opinions, Councilors Mike Boyes and Bart Reirson withdrew their concerns and sided with Councilor Shelton. Councilor Roger Currier still felt he wanted more time and research to make the decision and abstained from the final vote—to deny Ordinance No. 2008-2707.

Having been there, seeing the odds and hearing the arguments in favor of the ordinance, I have no doubt that the Lord won the battle. I am still in awe that we won.

Thank you to everyone who wrote, called and contacted the city council. Thank you to OCEANetwork for your support (making the long drive into Newberg), and to the HSLDA who took the time to send legal documents to the city in opposition to the ordinance. It was an awe inspiring and amazing evening. I hope you will all continue to fight to preserve our homeschooling freedoms in Oregon.


Sincerely,
April McGowan