[Family Research Council] They came by the hundreds, one newspaper said—"perhaps thousands." Some traveled hours, others waited hours, all for the opportunity to protest one of the most outrageous homeschooling bills every introduced: California's AB 2756.

Spilling out into crammed hallways and overflow rooms, families poured into the statehouse just for the opportunity to spend a few minutes speaking out on a measure that would give the government more power over parents who educate at home. Initially, the bill tried to mandate fire inspections of all homeschooling families (which, not surprisingly, firefighters rejected). Then the proposal was amended—this time to force homeschooling families to give out private information about the names and address of homeschooling families.

(Click here to watch the YouTube video documenting how many showed up to defend homeschooling)

Liberals used a nightmarish story to prop up their argument, insisting that the case of the Turpins, parents who used homeschooling as an excuse to torture and starve their kids, meant that greater oversight was necessary. Conservatives fired back. Committee member Kevin Kiley (R) said that using the Turpin family to create law was not good policy. "That is an extreme outlier case. Any data set will have extreme outlier cases." Nearly 1,000 people spoke out in opposition, reporters said, including a candidate for governor, Assemblyman Travis Allen (R). "AB 2756 is absolutely wrong. It must fail. It must fail today," he said. "California's parents and children have the right to the very best education this state can possibly provide."

The line of opponents waiting to testify snaked around the building, many, one outlet pointed out, "with small children in tow." By afternoon's end, only two people from the surrounding area spoke in support of the controversial bill. Hours later, families got the news they'd been waiting for "no member of the committee was willing to make a motion for a vote." The bill was dead. Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, cheered the outpouring of parents from around the state. "All is not lost in California," he said. "When we stand together, we can still make a difference."

FRC's good friend and fellow Watchman on the Wall, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills Pastor Jack Hibbs, who helped flag this issue for thousands of Christian families, celebrated on Facebook. "This is a great lesson to everybody—stand for what's right and do the right thing. This is a great victory for homeschoolers everywhere! We live to fight another day!"

Tony Perkins' Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Supreme Court Refuses to Block Texas Heartbeat Ban but Sets November 1 for Oral Arguments

'We Are Giving Forgiveness': Abducted Missionaries' Families Offer Radical Grace to Militant Captors Amid Deadly Uncertainty

Ron DeSantis Plans $5K Bonus for Unvaccinated Police to Relocate to Florida

Biden State Dept. Increases Number of Americans Left Behind in Afghanistan

Sudan's PM Held In Apparent Coup; General Declares Emergency

'The School has Just Been Happy': Concerned Fathers Form 'Dads on Duty' to Reduce Violence in LA High School

Alec Baldwin Speaks Out Following Fatal 'Prop Gun' Accident: 'My Heart Is Broken'

'God is Helping Us': $2.5M Raised to Build 'Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer' in UK

Rare Biblical 'Balm Of Gilead' Engraving Found On 2,000-Year-Old Seal In Jerusalem

CA to Ban New Gas-Powered Small Engines by 2024 in a Big Blow to Landscaping Businesses

Trump Launches New 'TRUTH Social' Platform to 'Stand up to the Tyranny of Big Tech'

Israel, UAE Planning to Land on the Moon Together; More Fruit from the Abraham Accords

'I Am a Living Example': Radio Host Dennis Prager Contracted COVID to Build Natural Immunity; Treated with HCQ, Ivermectin

In-N-Out Burger Won't Ask Customers for Jab Status: 'We Refuse to Become the Vaccination Police'

Condoleezza Rice Denounces Critical Race Theory; Says Parents Need a Say in Their Children's Education

Panama Caught 52 Al Qaeda Suspects Headed to USA as All-Time High of 1.7M People Flooded US Border

'Miraculous': They'd Planned His Funeral. Then He Woke Up from a COVID Coma

Groundbreaking: Nebraska AG Says Doctors Can Legally Prescribe Ivermectin, HCQ for COVID, Calls Out FDA, Fauci, Media for 'Fueling Confusion and Misinformation'

New York Judge Denies Visitation Rights to 3-Yr-Old's Father Based on 'Dangers' of Being Unvaxxed

Texas Passes Bill Protecting Fairness in Girls' Sports: 'A Women's Rights Issue'