The battle against daytime curfews has continued to take many forms over the last few years. We have opposed HB 1886 since early spring because it would expand the possibilities of daytime curfews in Texas. We opposed the bill in the Urban Affairs Committee; it passed. We opposed it in Calendars Committee, and it was finally brought to the floor last Friday for consideration.

Freedom-loving people have been fighting the adoption of daytime curfews in cities all over Texas, which we have covered for some time. Bedford has been ground zero since last fall as the city council there adopted the curfew without a public hearing; this week they voted again to keep the curfew in the face of growing opposition from business owners, civil liberty activists, and parents of public, private, and home school students.

Last week many home schoolers in Dallas and Bedford joined other concerned parents and leaders of the ACLU in rallies protesting the current and proposed daytime curfews in those cities. At a meeting with PEACH (Plano Educational Association of Christian Homeschoolers) in Plano, I heard reports from one mom who reported that 40 home school parents testified against the proposed daytime curfew in a hearing before the Dallas City Council. This mother was surprised that the great number of phone calls from home school parents and testimony to the council did not seem to move the council members to change their position. The same has been true for dozens of parents in Bedford who have publicly opposed the daytime curfew of that city with little results to show for their ongoing efforts since October of 2008.

Opponents to current and proposed daytime curfews rallied recently in Dallas and Bedford. The Dallas City Council held a hearing two days later to consider adopting the curfew. Many home schoolers testified against the measure as ineffective and dangerous to the liberty of law abiding citizens. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a group known for their liberal leanings, is also heavily involved in the battle to stop or roll back daytime curfews.

House Urban Affairs Committee hears bill that would allow county officers to enforce city daytime curfews...

I left Lubbock on Thursday morning at 6:30AM and was at the Capitol by 8AM. As a courtesy I stopped by the office of Representative Miklos (author of HB 1886) at 8:30 to explain our concerns with his bill. His legislative director was on the phone, and as I waited, I heard him tell someone that they had been receiving lots of calls that started the night before. I found out later that he was speaking with the mayor of Balch Springs who had asked Representative Miklos to carry the bill. I expressed our concerns and left.