Posted on 02/24/2005 4:26:35 PM PST by kcvl
The Arkansas House of Representatives voted 63-31 to pass a bill that would allow illegal aliens who graduate from Arkansas high schools to qualify for in-state tuition rates and taxpayer-funded state scholarships at state universities. "We have allowed these kids to dream," said Rep. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, in support of her House Bill 1525. "We have put them in our schools, we have urged them to dream, and then we cut them off the moment they get out of high school."
While seven lawmakers spoke in support of the bill during debate on the House floor, the measure drew silence from opponents. None of the 31 lawmakers who voted against the bill chose to speak against it. "I think most minds were made up," said Rep. Mike Kenney, R-Siloam Springs, who voted against it. "Speaking for myself, I didn’t see any point in belaboring the issue. It wasn’t going to change any minds."
Gov. Mike Huckabee, who included the bill in his legislative package, drew a contrast between Wednesday’s vote in support of illegal immigrants and the state’s handling of the 1957 desegregation of Little Rock’s Central High School. "They took a stand that Arkansas can be proud of," Huckabee said in describing the House. "I think if we had taken a similar one in 1957, it would have made us proud for a long, long time."
Elliott also compared the situation of illegal aliens in Arkansas today to that of black students in the 1950s. In speaking before the House, Elliott, who is black, recalled her childhood in Arkansas, saying she was born in 1951 and grew up with "the big boot of the government on my back and I was a mere child." "For these kids today," Elliott said of illegal aliens, "it is not a memory, it’s a way of life."
Her bill would give in-state tuition to illegal-alien students who have spent at least three years in school in Arkansas, have graduated from a school in the state and been accepted by a state college or university. It would also declare them eligible for state-funded scholarships. In-state tuition rates are cheaper by about $5,000 a year than rates for out-of-state students.
Federal law requires that states educate children of illegal immigrants in public schools, but that requirement does not extend to colleges, Elliott said. Instead, illegal aliens who graduate from high school lack documented legal status and are in a "legal purgatory," she said.
As part of her bill, Elliott required that illegal aliens who receive in-state tuition file an affidavit with the college or university they attend, stating that they intend to legalize their immigration status.
Between 1990 and 2000, the estimated number of illegal immigrants rose from 5,000 to 27,000 in Arkansas, according to a January 2003 report from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, predecessor to the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Elliott said about 600 children of immigrants will graduate from state high schools this year, of which about half are illegal. Elliott said her bill would cost the state $235,000 in its first year.
Speaking in support of the bill, Rep. Sam Ledbetter, DLittle Rock, said those who don’t receive an education are more likely to commit crimes and be sent to prison, where the state must pay for their custody. "If an undocumented immigrant commits a crime, we’re going to send him to the pen," Ledbetter said. "The financial impact of [granting in-state status and access to state-funded scholarships to illegal aliens] is the cost of 12 prisoners."
During debate, Rep. Bill Pritchard, R-Elkins, who voted against the bill, asked Elliott if the bill wouldn’t encourage illegal aliens to move to Arkansas. "Do we not encourage parents to bring their children here illegally?" Pritchard asked.
Elliott said she doubted immigrants would view Arkansas as "the promised land" if her bill becomes law. Even if parents moved to Arkansas illegally to take advantage of her bill, the children who would benefit from it aren’t breaking the law, Elliott said. "We’re not dealing with the parents, we’re dealing with the kids," Elliott said.
Rep. Stephen Bright, R-Maumelle, questioned whether the bill was needed, and if colleges and universities shouldn’t be allowed to decide if illegal aliens should receive in-state tuition. "Could we maybe have a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy?" Bright asked.
Elliott said the state’s colleges and universities were comfortable with the bill’s requirements.
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Governor Mike Huckabee email...
http://www.arkansas.gov/governor/formpop.html
Governor's Office 501-682-2345
Chief of Staff 501-682-3607
Boards and Commissions 501-682-3570
Communications 501-682-3642
Constituent Services 501-682-3623
Corrections 501-682-8184
Legal 501-682-3613
Legislative Affairs 501-682-3695
Scheduling 501-682-3680
Fax 501-682-3597
TDD (hearing impaired) Only 501-682-7515
Brenda Turner, Chief of Staff 501-682-3607
Everyone knows Tyson is the worst flouter of federal laws yet nothing has been done to them since their great protector lost office. Waasup widdat!?
Good question. I have no idea...anyone know?
Something about people talking this way about this subject makes me want to smash my keyboard all over the room. Hmm.
Panel Backs College Aid Proposal
By Wesley Brown
LITTLE ROCK — Lawmakers took the first step Tuesday toward passing legislation that would open the door for the children of illegal immigrants in Arkansas to receive college scholarships.
The committee adoption of House Bill 1525, sponsored by Rep. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, and supported by Gov. Mike Huckabee, occurred during an emotionally charged meeting of the House Committee on Education.
Elliott appealed to lawmakers to take the “big boot of government off our children’s back.”
The Little Rock lawmaker, who is chairwoman of the education panel, said she has not received one letter from constituents in opposition to HB 1525.
She also said she had no conversations with Huckabee before drafting her bill, although the governor said in his state-of-the-state address in January that he supports a law that would allow all immigrants who graduate from an Arkansas high school to be treated the same as other graduates.
“Gov. Huckabee and I have never had a conversation about this issue, not one time,” Elliott told the panel. “But, it is a good thing that the governor is on my side, and what I hope today is that the committee is not on my side, but on the side of children.”
Elliott also testified that while growing up in Arkansas, she realized that many of her career dreams would not be reached because of the state’s discriminatory laws against women and minorities.
“It became pretty evident to me as I grew that my dreams were not going to be realized unless someone did something with the law to get the big boot of government off my back,” she said. “And that is what we are faced with today. We have the big boot of government on the backs of our children.”
Linda Beene, director of the Department of Higher Education, explained that her department supported Elliott’s proposal because it would allow the children of undocumented Arkansas residents to be eligible for state-sponsored scholarship opportunities.
“There are only a few days like this where you have the opportunity to change lives,” Beene said. “This bill will not give anyone a free ride; it will simply give all Arkansas high school students the opportunity to earn a college degree.”
Beene also said the law would not take away any scholarships from students of legal Arkansas citizens and would only affect a “minuscule number” of students.
Huckleberry is just a hound!
Since most of them are Democrats, I would imagine that's how the vote turned out, down party lines. I am trying to find out.
Email that I received...
Dear XXXXXXXXXX,
Thank you for your email to Governor Huckabee concerning the issue of children of undocumented parents participating in higher education opportunities in Arkansas. The Governor appreciates your interest and is hopeful our response will shed some light on the matter.
The issue of immigration is a very dynamic and complicated legal process. Assuming a child is "illegal" simply because they do not have sufficient documentation to support the place of their birth or circumstances surrounding their arrival in Arkansas is insufficiently simplistic for this purpose. The child may very well have been born in the United States but lacks documentation, or is here on refugee status. These are two examples of the complex problem of lumping all people in one category. Moreover, citizen status is a primary function of the federal government and, thus, should be addressed on the federal level.
In this instance, Arkansas is charged with two conflicting mandates. In the first instance, the state mus, and will do everything in its power to ensure that no entitlement program reserved only for US citizens is accessed by those not legally eligible. Consequently, federal programs have barred non citizens from accessing Medicaid or food stamps, for example. Furthermore, there is no evidence this is occurring on a wholesale basis. Second, our state is charged with the dual responsibilities of providing an adequate education to every child K-12 while maximizing our ability to develop a competitive workforce for the 21st century. Arkansans universally agree that the more we enhance the educational attainment level of our residents the better our economy we will be in the future.
We are assured that the majority of the children affected by this legislation are eligible to remain in this country and can apply for legal residency and/or citizenship at the age of legal majority. Consequently, it is in our state's best interest to have an educated population contributing to our economy and infrastructure. Students who excel academically are eligible to receive in-state tuition and compete for academic excellence scholarships in neighboring states. It makes good economic sense to keep them in our state, supporting our economy upon completion of their degree.
Finally, I encourage you to consider the following points. The state indeed subsidizes tuition for students enrolled in its colleges and universities. All Arkansas residents pay taxes that support our institutions of higher learning, including non citizens residing in our state. International students do not directly subsidize the institutions through income taxes (provided they are not employed outside of school), but they do pay a substantially higher tuition instead.
I hope you will consider these facts as you arrive at your decision. Governor Huckabee very much appreciates your previous support and is hopeful you will continue to let us know if we can assist you.
Sincerely,
Lucretia Norris
Higher Education Policy Advisor
Office of the Governor
State of Arkansas
Does she mean this is not simplistic enough? I think she means "is overly simplistic."
You don't have to assume a child is "illegal" anyway. You simply make every person desiring an in-state discount provide documentation to verify their status, the same as if they were asking for a passport for instance. If they don't have "sufficient documentation" then there are other ways to verify their status (such as personal affidavits), but in any instance the onus for that verification should be on them.
Dear XXXXXX
Thank you for your e-mail. I regret the length of time to respond, but I am trying to catch up on my e-mails today. First, I do value my career, and I did vote for HB1525. I fear that much mis-information exists in this debate. I consider myself a conservative Democrat, and my voting record proves it. This Bill is part of Gov. Huckabee's legislative package, and several of our colleges and universities, and people in the Department of Education testified for the Bill.
Frankly the bill went out of the Education Committee quickly, and came to the floor very quickly. I think the debate on the bill might have mis-led you somewhat. My understanding from the Bill's sponsor and the Committee was that the Bill forced students who earned a scholarship but who were only undocumented due to their age, to sign an affidavit agreeing that they would become documented prior to releasing the scholarship. That is the only way I voted for the Bill.
If you have not read the Bill, I don't mind forwarding you a copy, so that you can read it and see for yourself that the debate over the Bill might be different than what has been portrayed. If the Bill gets amended on the Senate side, it will come back to me, and I will take your thoughts into consideration.
Again, thank you and please feel free to e-mail me or call me any time. Jay Martin
sw
In other words, we don't give a damn what you think.
I like this one better...
My email to Rep. Jeffrey Robert
Subject: HB 1525
Thank you for voting AGAINST this insanity!
******
Email from Rep. Jeffrey Robert
You are welcome.
While I'm at it, this one is from Blanche Lincoln (aka a LIAR)
Dear XXXXXXXXX:
Thank you for contacting me about the nomination of Alberto Gonzalez to be Attorney General. As you may know, he was confirmed by the Senate and was sworn into office on February 3, 2005.
I believe the office of the United States Attorney General is unlike any other Cabinet post because it carries the unique responsibility of representing and defending the rights and constitutional freedoms of every American citizen. It requires someone who can think independently and who possesses a strong sense of boundaries that cannot be crossed if the United States is to remain true to its core values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
By all indications, in his former position as White House Counsel to the President, Judge Gonzales played a significant role in determining U.S. policy on the treatment of prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. After hearing the concerns raised by several retired military leaders about decisions that were authorized under Judge Gonzales' authority, I was deeply disturbed. These respected Americans suggested that our military code of conduct was compromised, therefore jeopardizing the safety of our men and women in uniform.
After giving serious and lengthy consideration to Judge Gonzales' nomination, I was not convinced that he was prepared to exercise the independence and judgment that the post of Attorney General demands.
While I have supported every other Cabinet level appointment by President Bush during his second term, I could not support Judge Gonzales' nomination to be Attorney General because he will be in a position to defend rights and freedoms which he has failed to show the proper respect in the past. Now that Judge Gonzales has been confirmed, I have pledged to work with him in his new role as Attorney General. It is my hope that he will execute his new duties with the commitment to justice and the rule of law that is expected of America's highest law-enforcement official.
I appreciate your interest in this important matter and look forward to hearing from you again in the future.
Sincerely,
Blanche L. Lincoln
BLL/at
Ordinary theft is another illegal way to fund things. Or they could go into the business of selling drugs to the kiddies. Why let the dealers make all the money?
There's just the unfortunate little detail of all of these methods of funding being against the law.
K, this is going to backfire, just wait and see. Arkansans are good people, but they don't cater to being taken advantage of by city slickers. Mike has forgotten where he came from and who voted him in office. We're about to refresh his memory.
PS, I even voted for him knowing he was a Baptist Minister who was NOT in favor of any gambling in this state. No Lottery, and no Bingo for little old ladies in Catholic Church Halls or Legions. Try playing Bingo, and they call the law to raid the Bingo game. They're all shut down now. But they can still play the horses at Oaklawn because it's a game of "skill".
sw
ROFLOL! That's a new one. If you think that is bad, I was holding a drawing for our Hospice (dying people!) in our business. I was told that I couldn't do that! It was against the law. I said "ARREST ME"! We have county fairs where kids are allowed to GAMBLE, but they don't think I should raise money for the DYING?! I did it anyway. I don't think they wanted to arrest someone who was trying to do some good for people while their "friends" and contributors are allowed to do as they damn well please.
I even "explained" to them that I knew they knew there was illegal gambling going on in town. I even mentioned the address. They still haven't answered that one!
I assume she means they are not breaking any laws other than simply BEING HERE?!?!
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