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Newsbrief:
Delaware
General
Assembly
Calls
for
Repeal
of
Higher
Education
Act
Anti-Drug
Provision
7/16/04
Both houses of the Delaware
General Assembly have adopted a nonbinding resolution calling on Congress
to repeal the Higher Education Act's (HEA) anti-drug provision. Crafted
by Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) in 1998, the provision denies federal student
financial aid to students who have a previous drug conviction, no matter
how minor. According to the US Department of Education, some 140,000
college students have lost financial aid under the provision.
The resolution had bipartisan
sponsorship (four Republicans and three Democrats) in the House, where
it passed unanimously on a 40-0 vote with one absence. In the Senate,
where the resolution was introduced by three Democrats, it passed by a
margin of 17-2. In both chambers, the resolution was supported by
leading members.
The resolution notes that
drug offenses are the only ones for which students lose financial aid,
that it doesn't matter how minor the offense was, and that "this federal
provision has had the effect of punishing individuals who have already
served criminal sentences, paid their fines and are attempting to become
productive citizens and taxpayers by obtaining higher education degrees."
While the resolution has
no legal force, it could put pressure on two Delaware politicians targeted
by the Coalition for HEA Reform (http://www.raiseyourvoice.com),
which seeks to undo the measure. US Sen. Joe Biden (D), is an influential
player on crime and drug legislation who has so far supported only a partial
reform measure proposed by Rep. Souder that would restrict the law's applicability
to people who were in school and receiving federal aid at the time of their
drug offenses. US Rep. Mike Castle (R) sits on the House Education
and Workforce Committee, which will handle HEA reauthorization.
Now, both Biden and Castle
should receive the clear message that the state they represent wants nothing
to do with the HEA anti-drug provision except to get rid of it.
To read the resolution and
related information, visit http://www.legis.state.de.us
then click on Bill Tracking and search on House Concurrent Resolution #78.
-- END --
|
Issue #346, 7/16/04
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