A Law Named for a Tragedy
Natalia Moore was a middle school student trapped in a school where she was relentlessly bullied. Her parents tried repeatedly to transfer her. Bureaucratic barriers stopped them every time.
Two Hazlitt Coalition members in Michigan have introduced HB5480, the Natalia Moore Law, to make sure no family faces that again.
What the Bill Does
The bill requires neighboring school districts to accept transfer students tuition-free. No wait lists. No bureaucratic hurdles. No tuition costs that price out working families.
If a parent determines their child needs to attend a different school, for any reason, the neighboring district must accept them.
Why Michigan Matters
Michigan is currently one of the toughest states for liberty legislation. The fact that Hazlitt members are advancing open enrollment reform here shows the coalition's growing reach into traditionally difficult territory.
Most school choice debates focus on vouchers and charter schools. Open enrollment addresses something more basic: under current rules, parents who need to move their child face wait lists, bureaucratic hurdles, and tuition costs that put transfers out of reach for working families. HB5480 removes all of that.
Also Out of Michigan This Session
HB5480 wasn't the only bill from Michigan Hazlitts making headlines. The state's coalition members have been advancing reforms in one of the most difficult legislative environments in the country, proving that the movement's strategy works even where the political math is hardest.
Minnesota Responds to Daycare Fraud
In a similar vein, Hazlitt members in Minnesota introduced HF4336 in response to the state's daycare fraud scandal. Rather than reforming state-subsidized child care centers, the bill abolishes the Child Care Assistance Program entirely. This eliminates the source of taxpayer-funded fraud affecting an estimated 495,000 Minnesota children requiring care services.
A Model for Other States
If HB5480 passes, expect other states to follow. The bill is simple, defensible, and solves a problem every parent understands.
