Posted on 02/15/2007 6:24:03 AM PST by Gopher Broke
Panel kills immigrant tuition bill
Measure aimed to prohibit Va. rate for illegals
By Aaron Kessler
akessler@dailyprogress.com | 964-5476
Thursday, February 15, 2007
RICHMOND - A bill to prohibit illegal immigrants from paying in-state tuition rates at Virginia’s public colleges and universities has been killed by a Senate subcommittee.
The measure, sponsored by Del. Jack Reid, R-Henrico, would have barred anyone unlawfully residing in the state from being granted in-state tuition. Reid said the bill was an attempt to bring Virginia “in line with the federal law” on immigration, and that it would keep in-state slots available for “legal Virginia citizens.”
The bill received approval from the House after a contentious round of hearings and was sent to the Senate for approval. Tuesday evening the Senate’s education and health committee’s higher education subcommittee voted 3-0 to effectively kill it.
The subcommittee’s chairman, Sen. Richard Saslaw, D-Springfield, said the proponents of the bill had not provided evidence that illegal immigrants were being admitted as in-state students at Virginia colleges.
“As it stands now, there is no proof colleges are admitting these students as in-state students … so I think this is unnecessary,” Saslaw said.
Reid said he asked Attorney General Robert McDonnell for an opinion on the ramifications of illegal immigrants being granted in-state tuition, and that the attorney general’s office said Virginia could be forced to grant all U.S. residents in-state tuition rates if they were given to illegal immigrants.
“We can’t afford to give everyone the in-state tuition rates,” Reid said. “That’s what would happen if we don’t pass this bill.”
However, the senators disagreed. Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, said he was surprised by the attorney general’s opinion on the matter, and thought it was “totally incorrect.”
“I don’t put any credence in the attorney general’s opinion on this,” Edwards said. “This is a state issue, not a federal issue.”
If only Utah will have the guts to end in-state tuitions for these criminals.
Misleading title: makes it look like the illegals would NOT get the benefit.
I keep wondering why there are not more suits filed by out-of-state tuition payers on the basis of equal protection. They are getting screwed. I can just see an American kid going to Mexico and demanding preferential treatment. The legislature is nuts.
Pathetic.
ping
It passed the House and three people in a subcommittee killed it!
The subcommittee’s chairman, Sen. Richard Saslaw, D-Springfield, said the proponents of the bill had not provided evidence that illegal immigrants were being admitted as in-state students at Virginia colleges.
“As it stands now, there is no proof colleges are admitting these students as in-state students … so I think this is unnecessary,” Saslaw said.
Well, let's just make you king and do away with all that voting nonsense. It seems just a waste of time any way.
That is so true. Pathetic does not even describe it...
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