A bill preventing convicted drug dealers from receiving state financial aid had a public hearing Tuesday. Colleges and Universities Committee Chairman Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, said he expects the bill to reach the Assembly floor in the near future.
Under the bill, a college student convicted of possessing drugs with the intent to sell would not be able to receive state, loan and work assistance. They currently cannot receive federal loans under a national law.
Nass, who co-sponsored the bill with state Rep. Eugene Hahn, R-Cambria, said the bill ensures that law-abiding students receive the aid.
""That money dries up, we don't have an unlimited amount of money for student loans,"" he said.
An executive hearing will be held for the committee to vote on whether the bill will make it to the Assembly floor. Before that vote, Nass said the committee will clarify the funds for which convicted drugs dealers would be ineligible.
The current bill controls all state loans and funding through the University. However, grants from private groups, such as local American Legions, would not be subject to the law.
Critics of the bill cite that convicted drug dealers need financial aid in order to go to receive an education and become employed. Nass said the opposition may believe people deserve a second chance, but stressed that they need to be punished for their mistakes.
