WSET.com - ABC13"Tim Tebow Bill" Meets Resistance

"Tim Tebow Bill" Meets Resistance

Reporter: Mark Kelly l Videographer: Parker Slaybaugh

Lynchburg, VA - A bill in Richmond would allow homeschooled students to play public school sports. The bill has been nicknamed the "Tim Tebow Law" after the Denver Broncos quarterback. Tebow was home schooled, but played football on a public high school team.

The bill is pretty popular in Richmond; homeschoolers and a Republican-controlled General Assembly are throwing their support behind the bill. But, many school groups are not. They see a list of reasons why this bill won't fly.

Football stars often get their name plastered on a lot of sports memorabilia. But, Quarterback Tim Tebow has his named attached to - of all things - a legislative bill in Richmond.

If passed, House Bill 947, or the Tim Tebow Law, would allow homeschoolers to play sports at a public school. Parents of homeschoolers cheer the bill, saying they pay taxes so their kids should be allowed to play public school sports too.

Not speaking on behalf of the board, but his personal opinion, Lynchburg School Board Chair Charlie White disagrees.

"My counter-argument to that would be, I'm a taxpayer, and I didn't utilize the services of the police department last year, but I didn't call City Hall and ask for a refund," said White.

White says government services aren't served up a la carte. And the The Virginia High School League agrees. To them, the bill would create an unequal playing field between the public schooled and the homeschooled. Some questions raised: Are the homeschooled full-time students? Must they meet academic standards like a certain GPA? And what is their discipline like at home?

But, for many homeschoolers, it's a question of fairness.

According to the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers, "This bill will help families who might otherwise be forced to choose between homeschooling and athletics for their high school students."

White empathizes with the homeschooled, but says they've already made up their minds.

"They've made a conscious decision to educate their child at home with the full knowledge and understanding that their child is not going to be a part of a public school community," said White.

Just this week, the Tebow Bill scored a legislative touchdown of sorts - the House Education Committee voted for it. Still, organizations like the Lynchburg Education Association say they will lobby against it.