|
Newsbrief:
HEA
Repeal
Picking
Up
Steam
--
Congressional
Advisory
Committee,
Arizona
Legislators
Urge
Rescinding
of
Souder's
Law
2/4/05
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/373/heasteam.shtml
The broad-based effort to
repeal the Higher Education Act (HEA) provision barring students with drug
convictions from receiving student financial aid has gained new support
in recent weeks, with a congressionally-appointed committee calling for
effective repeal of the provision and a bipartisan group of Arizona legislators
introducing a resolution to the same effect.
|
 |
|
CHEAR press conference with ten
members of Congress, May 2002
|
Through the efforts of the
Coalition for Higher Education Act Reform (CHEAR), an umbrella group coordinated
by DRCNet, more than 180 student, academic, professional, educational,
and civil liberties organizations have now called for the drug provision's
repeal. The brainchild of arch-drug warrior Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN),
the provision has, according to the US Department of Education, led to
some 157,000 students being denied financial aid since it went into effect
in 2000, many of them for simple marijuana possession.
The HEA drug provision and
Souder's effort to defend a proposed partial reform to the law that would
make it apply only to those arrested while enrolled in college -- advocates
want full repeal instead -- took a direct hit late last month when the
Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance called for the removal
of the question about drug convictions from the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). The committee, an independent body created by
Congress to advise it on education and student aid policy, simply called
the drug question "irrelevant." The provision "can deter some students
from applying for financial aid," the committee declared.
"We are pleased with the
recommendation coming from the Advisory Committee on Student Financial
Assistance's report," said Chris Mulligan, CHEAR outreach director.
"Mistakes young people made in the past should have no bearing on their
ability to succeed in the future. Hopefully, Congress will heed the
advice of its own appointees and work to repeal the drug provision during
this session."
Congress may get another
nudge from the state of Arizona. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group
of 14 state legislators, acting at CHEAR's behest, introduced a resolution
calling on Congress to repeal the HEA drug provision. If the measure
passes, Arizona would become the second state to call for repeal.
A
similar resolution passed the Delaware General Assembly last year.
"I sponsored this legislation
because of what I've learned in my professional experiences working the
last 25 years in child welfare," said sponsor Rep. David Bradley (D-28).
"The antidote to poverty, violence, and substance abuse problems is education.
It is ludicrous to penalize a one-time drug offender by making it more
difficult to escape the ravages of substance abuse and poverty by not facilitating
their educational opportunities."
CHEAR hopes that Republican
moderate US Sen. John McCain is listening. Last year, a bill to repeal
the provision gained 70 cosponsors in the House, but lacked a companion
bill in the Senate. McCain could take the hint from his home state
General Assembly and introduce such a bill in the Senate, CHEAR suggested.
Visit http://www.raiseyourvoice.com
for further information.
-- END --
|
Issue #373
-- 2/4/05
Drug
War
Chronicle's
Phil
Smith
Featured
in
New
Book
--
"Under
The
Influence"
Available
as
DRCNet
Premium
|
Editorial:
DEA
Has
Stepped
In
It
This
Time
|
"Not
Your
Father's
Marijuana"
Canard
Again
Exposed
--
This
Time
by
DEA
|
Never
Say
Die:
Nevada
Marijuana
Regulation
Initiative
is
Back
After
Favorable
Federal
Court
Ruling
|
DRCNet
Interview:
Roger
Goodman,
King
County
Bar
Association
Drug
Policy
Project
|
Blogging:
Mobile,
Alabama
Police
Chief
Stuck
"Inside
the
Box"
Over
City's
Rising
Drug
Trade
Violence,
and
More
|
Newsbrief:
This
Week's
Corrupt
Cops
Stories
|
Newsbrief:
DEA
Pain
FAQ
Retract
Flap
Fallout
Continues
--
Criticism
Comes
from
Unexpected
Direction
as
Agency
Seeks
Comments
|
Newsbrief:
HEA
Repeal
Picking
Up
Steam
--
Congressional
Advisory
Committee,
Arizona
Legislators
Urge
Rescinding
of
Souder's
Law
|
Newsbrief:
DEA
Must
Pay
Hemp
Industry
Plaintiff's
Legal
Bills,
Court
Rules
|
Newsbrief:
Indiana
Official
Calls
for
National
Agency
to
Provide
Drugs
to
Addicts
|
Newsbrief:
In
Swan
Song,
Ashcroft
Calls
for
Harsher
Sentences,
Chastizes
Foes
|
Newsbrief:
Man
Bites
Dog!
Arkansas
Bill
to
Lower
Meth
Sentences
Moves
Forward
|
Newsbrief:
London
Top
Cop
Warns
He
Will
Target
Casual
Cocaine
Users
|
Newsbrief:
Belgian
Cannabis
Clarification
Now
in
Effect
|
Newsbrief:
Spanish
Pharmacies
to
Begin
Selling
Medical
Marijuana
|
Newsbrief:
Safe
Injection
Site
Opens
in
Oslo
|
Newsbrief:
Rastas,
Watch
Out
At
Ethiopian
Marley
Fest,
State
Department
Warns
|
Newsbrief:
India
Narcs
Set
Off
Prescription
Drug
Panic
|
This
Week
in
History
|
The
Reformer's
Calendar
|
|
This issue -- main page
This issue -- single-file printer version
Drug War Chronicle -- main page
Chronicle archives
|
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