State. Rep Craig Snow, left, and State. Sen. Ryan Mishler were the two lawmakers who participated in the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce’s virtual legislative update on Friday, March 3. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Voucher schools and driving privilege cards for those in the U.S. illegally were a few of the topics discussed during the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce’s virtual legislative update on Friday, March 3.

State Sen. Ryan Mishler and State Rep. Craig Snow were the lawmakers who participated. They shared information on some of their own legislation before answering submitted questions.

One of those regarded voucher schools, which are private schools that receive funds from the state to pay for students to attend them.

Lawmakers have discussed further expanding eligibility for that program.

Snow noted the issue could be “contentious.” He mentioned his wife had been a teacher, and the couple had sent their three children to public schools.

“I think that I would want to have the choice to send my child no matter where they want to go,” said Snow, mentioning one of his kids probably should have gone to a different school.

“I understand in a way it does take money from public schools, but I also believe the parent needs to be able to have that choice to do what they feel is best for their children, and so I’m kind of in line with that money needs to follow the child,” he added.

Snow did say he was surprised how typical public schools face more government accountability than other schools getting public funding. He said he’d consider taking away strict regulations from public schools that they’d like to see gone.

He said the Indiana General Assembly did “need to work on … what are the accountability measures that need to be put on those voucher dollars and what does that look like?”

Mishler had earlier published a letter to his Senate District 9, sharing his experience with one voucher school.

He said Friday he thought the state currently had “a healthy mix” of different schools.

Mishler added the eligibility for voucher schools was something he was concerned about. When the state first gave out voucher money, it was aimed at lower-income households, but that’s changed, he said.

He noted paying for more kids to attend voucher schools would get expensive for the state.

Mishler also talked about accountability with voucher schools, referencing some of what he talked about in his letter to his district.

Though his son doesn’t receive a voucher to attend school, he does go to an institution that accepts them for other students. Mishler said he and other parents of other students there “discovered the hard way” about accountability at the school.

“So what I’m trying to find … is how do we have accountability for protections for these kids and parents without interfering with their teaching or their faith-based teaching or their beliefs?” Mishler said.

He said he’d spoken with Lakeland Christian Academy of Winona Lake’s Superintendent Joe Elrod earlier on the topic.

“By no way is the Senate trying to take away vouchers,” he noted, adding that had seen students thrive by getting vouchers to attend his son’s school.

Driving Privilege Cards

Mishler also responded to questions regarding driving privilege cards.

Senate Bill 248, which died in committee, would have allowed the cards which would grant driving privileges to those who weren’t legal residents of the U.S.

The Warsaw City Council had recently come out in support of the measure.

Mishler said some people in his caucus were “nervous about this bill.”

“So we took it in for a caucus discussion. It was very split, and so it was a caucus decision not to move the bill,” said Mishler. “The two biggest things seemed to be, No. 1, voting. Even though (the cards would be) for driving only … some just weren’t convinced that wouldn’t lead to voting.”

The other concern related to income taxes. The cards were meant for those who pay them, but Mishler said there was concern those who’d qualify for them didn’t actually file tax returns, but just had money withdrawn from their paychecks.

He said he’d spoken with State Sen. Blake Doriot, who co-authored the bill.

“He did a really good job on the bill, but he just has some more work to do to kind of help people get over their concerns,” said Mishler.

He noted constituents in his district were “split” on the issue as well.

Mishler said he believed Doriot would take up the issue again.