East Central Reporter

Blaine Wilhour, a state representative for Illinois' House District 110, announced that dozens of parents and private school advocates recently gathered in Chicago to oppose HB 2827, also known as the Homeschool Act. He made this announcement in a Facebook post on April 4.

"Homeschool parents and private school advocates rallied in Chicago yesterday in opposition to the Homeschool Act (HB 2827," said Wilhour, according to Facebook. "We must protect homeschool freedom in Illinois. Thank you to everyone who continues to fight this bad public policy idea!"

According to Wilhour, he shared a link to a Fox 32 report about an April 3 protest in Springfield. The protest involved parents who homeschool their children and advocates for private school education, responding to House Bill 2827. The bill proposes that homeschooling parents register with the Illinois State Board of Education and submit their curriculum to the public school districts their children would otherwise attend. It also mandates private schools to provide personal information about students and parents to the state board of education.

Screenshot of State Rep. Blaine Wilhour's April 4 Facebook post | State Representative Blaine Wilhour's Facebook page

House Bill 2827 passed out of the House Education Policy Committee on March 19, according to a news release from Illinois Policy, which has been monitoring the bill and its surrounding controversy. The organization said that requiring all elementary and secondary private schools to register with the state and report sensitive information on all enrolled students could render the bill unconstitutional.

The bill was filed by Representative Terra Costa Howard (D) on February 5, 2024. It was referred to the Rules Committee on February 6 and then moved to the Education Policy Committee on March 4. An amendment was filed on March 13 and adopted by the Education Policy Committee on March 19 before being placed on the House of Representatives’ calendar for a second debate. As of March 26, it remains held on the calendar for second reading, with a fiscal note filed as amended.

Representative Wilhour has represented Illinois' 110th District since 2019. A lifelong resident of Illinois, he served in the Illinois Army National Guard from 1999 to 2005 and was deployed to Europe in 2002 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to his official biography. His political career includes a term on the Fayette County Board. Wilhour is also a managing partner at his family’s post-frame construction company in Effingham County.