Senators seek to protect students from InfiLaw

Sen. Sherrod Brown last week asked Education Sec- retary Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education to disclose what they’re doing to protect students from the InfiLaw for-profit college system.

The system — composed of the Arizona Summit School of Law, the Florida Coastal School of Law, and the now-defunct Charlotte School of Law — is owned by the private equity firm Ster- ling Partners. But after the Charlotte School of Law’s clo- sure in 2017, hundreds of stu- dents suffered, Brown said.

Brown, along with Democratic Sens. Patty Murray of Washington, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Durbin of Illinois asked the department what they were doing to protect other students. The senators are further concerned by reports that the Arizona Summit School of Law also plans to close. In a letter to DeVos, the senators demanded the Department of Education do more to prevent students and taxpayers from being fleeced by Infilaw in the future.

The senators asked the Department in January 2018 to provide debt relief to borrowers who attended the defunct Charlotte School of Law after hundreds of students suffered as the school lost its eligibility for federal student aid in 2016. The department responded by extending the closed school discharge deadline for stu- dents to seek debt relief.

B ut the letter said the department has not addressed concerns about the remaining schools.

Portman keeping busy

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is not on the ballot Tuesday, but his schedule last week was jammed with events across the state.

Last Tuesday, Portman took part in a forum before the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce on last year’s 10-year, $1.5 trillion tax cut, which the Ohio Republican championed.

On Wednesday, Portman was in Sidney and Celina to take part in roundtable talks about curbing the use of opioids. And on Thursday, Portman was at the Medina County Career Center to discuss job-training programs for manufacturing workers.

Stivers takes stand

Rep. Steve Stivers, the chairman of the House Republican re-election effort and whose suburban Colum- bus district extends into southwest Ohio, broke last week with Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, one of the most conservative anti-immigration lawmakers in Washington.

“Congressman Steve King’s recent comments, actions, and retweets are completely inappropriate,” S tivers tweeted. “We must stand up against white supremacy and hate in all forms, and I strongly condemn this behavior.”

King irritated a number of Republicans when he endorsed a white nationalist running for mayor of Toronto.

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