Posted on 06/02/2009 11:58:06 AM PDT by raybbr
Madison - The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee approved measures Friday that would let some illegal immigrants pay in-state college tuition, and provide limited legal protections to same-sex couples.
Democrats who control the committee pushed through the measures over Republican objections, on party line votes of 12-4. The provisions were folded into the state budget the panel plans to send to the full Legislature.
The committee also approved establishing new schools of freshwater science and public health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It did not provide funding.
Wisconsin high schools graduate 400 to 650 illegal immigrants annually, and they must pay out-of-state tuition if they enroll at University of Wisconsin System schools or state technical colleges.
The change would allow some to pay in-state tuition. Ten other states have similar laws.
"This gives children hope," said Rep. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse).
Republicans said the benefit didn't make sense.
"This is the ultimate brain drain because they cannot be employed legally," said Rep. Phil Montgomery (R-Green Bay). "They are going to leave this state."
Illegal immigrants at UW schools would save $6,984 to $14,250 a year. But the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau said schools could increase revenue because high costs keep many illegal immigrants out of school.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
Its time to get rid of these crooks, liars and thieves.
How about a law that says to attend a state university, you must be in the state legally?
Is that really complicated?
/Sarcasm OFF
Unauthorized Alien Students, Higher Education, and In-State Tuition Rates:A Legal Analysis
As noted above, federal law currentlydiscourages states and localities from grantingunauthorized aliens certain higher education benefits. Specifically, Section 505 of theIllegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) mandates thatunauthorized aliens “shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a State (or apolitical subdivision) for anypostsecondaryeducation benefit unless a citizen or nationalof the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an amount, duration, andscope) without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.”1Althoughthereis neitherreport languagenor agencyregulations availableto provideguidance, thisprovision appears to be designed to prevent states from offering illegal aliens in-statetuition at public institutions of higher education. While Section 505 does not explicitlyprohibit states from doing so, the provision could potentially impose a costly penalty onthose who do by requiring them to make cheaper in-state tuition rates available tononresidents.
ping
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