Senate bill would allow some felons to access state aid for college

Senate Bill 163 is sponsored by Sen. Brandon J. Storm, (R) London

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ/PRESS RELEASE) — Legislation that would clear the way for some felons and inmates to receive state financial aid for college advanced out of the Senate on Wednesday – an effort to improve job opportunities and reduce recidivism among those with a criminal record.

According to the Legislative Research Commission (LRC), Senate Bill 163 would remove language in state law has long prevented certain inmates and convicted felons from obtaining aid through the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship, known as KEES. It would also allow inmates to receive funds through College Access Program Grant, the Kentucky Tuition Grant and the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship Program. Another section of the bill would permit students to use scholarship funds for tuition at qualified proprietary schools.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Brandon J. Storm, R-London, said all of provisions center around increasing access to education for Kentuckians.

“Statistics indicate that education reduces recidivism,” he said. “Statistics also indicate that jobs reduce recidivism. By deleting the requirement that an eligible high school student and eligible postsecondary student not be a convicted felon, these individuals will no longer be prohibited from obtaining financial aid.”

According to the LRC, the measure advanced off the Senate floor with a 33-4 vote. However, it was amended before passage to narrow the list of offenders who would be eligible for aid. The amendment disqualifies violent offenders, some drug traffickers and those who have committed offenses against minors.

Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Benton, who sponsored the amendment, said SB 163 still provides latitude for minor offenses. But, he added, the list of disqualified offenses would include crimes like human trafficking and sexual abuse along with rape and murder.

“I think the bill is very fair and very considerate,” he said. “I think there are just some lines that we don’t cross with taxpayer dollars.”

Wednesday’s amendment brought a mix of reactions on the floor.

Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, voted for the legislation and thanked Storm for his work, according to the LRC. But he said he would not have supported the measure without the amendment to disqualify certain offenders. He raised concerns over homeschoolers who would not be eligible for the same funds.

“These are folks whose SAT scores are some of the highest in the state, who have parents who have shouldered the burden of their child’s education without any help from the state whatsoever,” he said. “And here they see that possibly a violent criminal or someone trafficking in lots of drugs might have KEES assistance when they don’t have KEES assistance.”

Sen. David Yates, D-Louisville, also voted “yes” for the final bill, but said the changes make it too difficult for some people to improve their lives. He argued that it’s cheaper to have people back in the workforce rather than back in prison.

“The amendment on its face seems reasonable,” he said. “Unfortunately, the problem we have over and over again is that we have recidivism.”

Senate Minority Caucus Chair Reginald Thomas, D-Lexington, said Senate Bill 163 in its most pristine form was an excellent bill. However, the bill’s original intent was sorely compromised. He voted against the measure.

“All of us in here believe in second chances, and that’s where Senate Bill 163 was born,” he said. “However, this Senate floor amendment essentially guts the bill.”

Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, also voted in opposition. He said he is concerned about diluting the funds for hardworking students who currently qualify for KEES. He said he expects the bill to undergo more changes in the House.

According to the Legislative Research Commission, as passed on Wednesday, the provisions related to proprietary schools stipulate that eligible programs have to be one of Kentucky’s top five, high demand work sectors as determined by the Kentucky Workforce Investment Board.

Another section of SB 163 extends KEES financial aid opportunities to a narrow group of students whose parents or guardians were transferred out of Kentucky due to ongoing military service.

The bill now heads to the House.