January 22, 2007 12:11PM # A Great Moment for the Nanny State or Legislative Satire? By [Adam B. Schaeffer](https://www.cato.org/people/adam-b-schaeffer) --- SHARE A [bill has been introduced](http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/html/HB00557I.htm) in Texas that makes missing a parent-teacher conference a *criminal offense*. Now, before everyone gets all upset, having a good excuse is an acceptable defense for parental misbehavior in being absent from the classroom. And it’s only Class C Misdemeanor. And the fines will be used strictly for educational purposes. Of course, there is no provision outlining what exactly constitutes a reasonable excuse, or whether a parent needs to get a signed note from his/​her respective parents/​doctor/​boss, etc. But I’m sure all of these details will work themselves out in due time. I applaud the civic-minded [Wayne Smith (R- Harris County)](http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist128/smith.htm) for addressing the problems that a lack of parental involvement in education can cause, but it seems to me that this might run afoul of personal liberty and violate the integrity of the family. In fact, [this law seems to directly conflict with a quote Mr. Smith has prominently displayed on his website](http://www.waynesmithcampaign.com/): “Let’s continue the fight to lower our taxes, reduce government bureaucracy and waste, and return to traditional family values.” Now, I might be wrong, but Mr. Smith’s proposal looks like it will cost more money, increase government bureaucracy and waste, and undermine the sovereignty of the family that is the center-piece of traditional family values! His bill would make parents as well as children a ward of the state. I guess Mr. Smith thinks it takes a government-mandated village to raise a child and discipline a family. Hold *on*! Perhaps Mr. Smith is presenting a [“modest proposal”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal) in order to demonstrate the absurdity of our government-run school system. Surely Mr. Smith knows that the best way to get parents *involved* in their child’s education is to allow them to *control* their child’s education! Everyone should be on the lookout for a universal education tax credit bill on sales and property taxes to follow this intriguing foray into the new art of legislative satire. ##### Related Tags [Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Government and Politics](https://www.cato.org/government-politics), [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).