2018 legislative agenda advanced by Rep. Joe Taylor focuses on helping Hoosiers

INDIANAPOLIS – Representative Joe Taylor (D-South Bend) announced today that he will focus his agenda for the 2018 session of the Indiana General Assembly on helping those Hoosiers who have often been ignored.

Among the bills Rep. Taylor has introduced this session is House Bill 1206, legislation designed to allow Hoosiers who have served their time for a felony drug conviction to apply for food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

While Indiana has eased some of the restrictions presently aimed at SNAP applicants, Taylor’s bill is aimed at providing more opportunities for people to receive food stamps. More specifically, his bill would allow application for SNAP benefits by offenders who are participating in re-entry courts, as well as evidence-based mental health and addiction forensic treatment services programs.

“If you have paid your debt to society, I see no reason why you should not receive benefits you would be qualified to get under normal circumstances,” said Rep. Taylor, who noted that he was compelled to file the proposal after discussing it with a number of his constituents. “One person told me that he is unable to help provide for his two children, simply because of this prohibition. Again, these people have seen the error of their ways and are trying to transition back into society. I simply am trying to provide some assistance so they can meet some basic human needs.”

Rep Taylor is also working on legislation to take a more comprehensive look at the way schools handle disciplinary cases. House Bill 1208 is focused on creating a more positive approach to discipline in our education system, as opposed to the current model of suspensions or expulsions.

“I think that we need to give kids a fair chance, rather than just moving straight to kicking them out,” Rep. Taylor said. “Kids who get left in the dark after being suspended or expelled remain in the dark. More often than not, the kids that are being pushed into the dark just need guidance and help. When you kick them out, they have a higher likelihood of ending up in prison, and I want to try to stop that pipeline.

“Rather than responding to a student misbehaving with exclusion, I believe it will be more beneficial to respond to misbehavior with interventions and consequences that are more focused on understanding and addressing the cause of the misbehavior,” he added. “In turn, this can help limit referrals to law enforcement or arrests on school properties, reduce the rate of expulsions and suspensions, and create safe and positive school environments.”

A second education proposal is designed to benefit undocumented aliens who are attempting to pursue a degree at one of Indiana’s public colleges or universities.

Under House Bill 1205, these students would have the ability to pay resident tuition rates to attend a public college or university in Indiana. Presently, Indiana is one of only three states in the country where undocumented students are prohibited from paying in-state tuition rates at state-supported institutions of higher learning.

“To me, this is not about students asking for a free ride, but a fair ride,” Taylor said. “Undocumented students deserve the chance to pursue an education that can help advance their lives. Our state already provides them with free access to an elementary and secondary school. Why should they be denied the chance at a higher education simply because of the choices made by their parents?”