California legislators jumped into action in January after authorities discovered a husband and wife were hiding the abuse of their 13 children – who were literally chained and denied food – by registering as homeschooling parents.

Attorney Brad Dacus of Pacific Justice Institute says liberal lawmaker Joe Medina took that isolated incident and produced Assembly Bill 2756, which required fire marshal safety inspections of the homeschooling home.

The bill died April 25 in committee, however, after approximately 1,000 homeschooling families lined up to speak for three hours. The bill failed when a quorum of lawmakers failed to show up.

Medina later complained to National Public Radio that he reluctantly withdrew that language and wondered aloud if homeschoolers will ever fall under the state’s scrutiny.

A co-sponsor of AB 2756, Susan Eggman, withdrew companion bill AB 2926 that would have created an advisory committee to research homeschooling in the state.

It was feared that such a committee would return to the legislature with onerous requirements and regulations, and the bill’s own language also suggsted home inspections, curriculum standards, and certification for parent-teachers.

Eggman withdrew her bill, however, after she was flooded with hundreds of phone calls, news website GV Wire reported this week.

“This would have been a terrible blow to homeschooling,” Dacus insists. “It would have resulted in literally hundreds of thousands of homeschoolers leaving the state of California.”