Pubdate: Mon, 16 Apr 2007
Source: Badger Herald (U of WI, Madison, WI Edu)
Copyright: 2007 Badger Herald
Contact:  http://www.badgerherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/711
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?219 (Students for Sensible Drug Policy)

A DEAL GONE BAD

A bill currently under consideration in the state Legislature's 
Colleges and Universities Committee would prevent convicted drug 
dealers from receiving state financial aid. Assembly Bill 151, 
introduced by Rep. Eugene Hahn, R-Cambria, would mirror a federal law 
that places similar restrictions on federal financial aid 
eligibility. With limited state education funds, Mr. Hahn claims the 
bill is necessary to ensure law-abiding students are the ones 
receiving financial aid.

Despite Mr. Hahn's feigned concern for fiscal responsibility, we have 
a hard time believing this would do anything substantive for the 
state's finances. In 2005-06, the state distributed $90 million in 
aid to students. In a study analyzing the effects of the more severe 
federal financial aid restrictions, Students for Sensible Drug Policy 
found that 1 in 400 applicants were denied aid. If similar numbers 
held true for this bill, Mr. Hahn's proposal would not even save the 
state half-a-million dollars - without even considering implementation costs.

Worse, the intent of the bill completely undercuts the alleged 
purpose of financial aid: to assist those who otherwise would have 
difficulty paying for college. Cutting funds from students with drug 
offenses would take aid from those who likely need it most. While the 
bill does allow eligibility to be reinstated after two years or upon 
completion of a drug rehabilitation program, these caveats do little 
to mitigate the overall burden of the bill.

 From the perspective in Madison, this bill is especially 
disappointing in light of the recent announcement by the Dane County 
District Attorney's office, stating it would no longer file criminal 
charges against individuals possessing less than roughly one ounce of 
marijuana. This welcome move came with the understanding that violent 
crime should be the priority in the city. In contrast, our state 
government representatives seem dogmatically intent on throwing the 
book at this non-violent class of citizens.

Indeed, the justification for this bill is critically flawed. If Mr. 
Hahn is so concerned with the prospect of law-breaking students from 
receiving aid, perhaps he'd like to amend the bill to cut funding 
from students who illegally gamble online, download pirated music or jaywalk.

This bill's provisions would also be difficult to implement. 
According to a UW official familiar with the matter, the UW System is 
not equipped or staffed to keep track of drug offenses that occur off campus.

Doling out punishments is a responsibility best left to the courts - 
not the state Legislature. The Legislature already has enough 
important university-related issues to be concerned with, like 
stem-cell research, domestic partner benefits and overall UW System 
financing. The last thing they need is a debate over a petty, 
ill-conceived bill designed more to score self-righteous legislators 
cheap political points than to improve public policy.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman