Indiana Republicans are considering a bill that would deny the right to vote to students who pay out-of-state tuition.
Paying out-of-state tuition could cost students something more under legislation that will be debated Wednesday: their vote.
Under House Bill 1311, students who pay out-of-state tuition would not be able to vote in Indiana.
Rep. Peggy Mayfield, the Martinsville Republican who filed the bill, said she’s trying to resolve an issue about determining who is an Indiana resident.
It’s actually very clear, and it would appear Peggy Mayfield hasn’t read the constitution of her own state.
Indiana’s constitution says a person who is at least 18 and who has been a resident of a precinct for the 30 days preceding an election may vote.
This bill is dead on arrival, but the fact that local Republicans thought it up and introduced it shouldn’t be forgotten in the next election. And if gerrymandering has thought us anything, it’s that local elections can be just as important as national elections.