Second part of DREAM Act passes Senate vote

[pampango]

Source: Daily Californian

The second half of the California DREAM Act — which would allow undocumented students access to state financial aid — passed the Senate today by a vote of 22 to 11. AB 131, authored by Assemblymember Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, will go back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote, the last hurdle before the bill could land on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.

The passage of the bill — which would give undocumented students access to state financial aid programs such as Cal Grants — comes a little over a month after the first part of the state’s DREAM act was signed into law by Brown. That bill authorized public higher education institutions to give financial aid to undocumented students from their own aid reserves.

The vote went along party lines. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, supported the bill on the Senate floor, saying that having more educated, tax-paying professionals would only help the state’s economy.

“(Undocumented students) should not have their future jeopardized by their illegal status,” he said. Doug LaMalfa, R-Butte, opposed the bill on the Senate floor, saying that the state should focus on taking care of its citizens during the current financial crisis isntead of giving aid undocumented students.

Read more: http://www.dailycal.org/2011/08/31/second-part-of-dream-act-passes-senate-vote/

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Good news so far.

[pinboy3niner]

1. K&R

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. nice

[SoapBox]

3. I guess I need more details...

I'm all about getting those that are hard working and want to succeed (that are here illegally) in America.

However...what do these kids have to show, so that they get this level of tuition...part of this
to me comes down to that old "in state vs. out of state" question. Are we going to charge American
born, out of CA students a higher rate than illegal students?

Just asking for help on this and NO, I'm not attacking the illegal kids, just 'cause I'm asking about this...

[astral]

4. +1

We give illegals more than we give our own. Why?

[No Elephants]

5. "Illegals" Ugh.

1/ Who is "our" own?

2/ Exactly what are the undocumented students getting that documented or native students are not getting?

3/ Why do you hide your profile?

[EFerrari]

9. Nonsense. n/t

[EFerrari]

8. Students and their families who reside in California

contribute to the economy and pay state taxes. Someone from Alabama doesn't. Cal Grants was developed for California residents.

[pampango]

10. Sounds like they would have to graduate from a CA high school after 3 years there.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_0101-0150/ab_131_bill_20110830_amended_sen_v94.pdf

Existing law requires that a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, who has attended high school in California for 3 or more years, who has graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent thereof, who has registered at or attends an accredited institution of higher education in California not earlier than the fall semester or quarter of the 2001–02 academic year, and who, if he or she is an alien without lawful immigration status, has filed a prescribed affidavit, is exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges and the California State University.

This bill would amend the Donahoe Higher Education Act, as of January 1, 2013, to require the Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and to request the regents, to establish procedures and forms that enable students who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the above-described provision, or who meet equivalent requirements adopted by the regents, to apply for, and participate in, all student aid programs administered by these segments to the full extent permitted by federal law, except as provided. This provision would apply to the University of California only if the regents, by appropriate resolution, act to make it applicable.

http://www.dailycal.org/2011/08/31/second-part-of-dream-act-passes-senate-vote/

The bill also says that undocumented students would only be eligible for the competitive A and B type of Cal Grants if there are funds left over after all eligible California students have received their awards.

Sounds like existing law permits illegal immigrant students to qualify for in-state tuition as long as they graduated from a California high school after attending there for at least 3 years. This new bill would make them eligible for financial aid as well. It sounds like they would be at the back of the line for certain types of competitive financial aid.

[alp227]

6. Legislature in California Set to Pass a Dream Act

Source: The New York Times

LOS ANGELES — The California Legislature is poised to pass a law that would allow illegal immigrants to receive state-financed aid for college. Known as the California Dream Act, the bill underscores the ways states are navigating their own way through controversial immigration issues, as the Obama administration has been unable to make headway on plans for an overhaul of immigration laws.

While the state law would do nothing to provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, it would provide them with more education benefits than they have in any other state. Advocates of the legislation say it would also send a powerful message to President Obama and Congress, forcing them to reconcile a patchwork of state laws that contradict one another.

Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, said during his campaign last fall that he would support such a law and signed legislation this summer that gave illegal immigrants access to privately financed state scholarships and other aid. While he has not publicly said that he would sign this second measure, Mr. Brown’s staff members have been working with legislators to amend the bill in order to trim some costs.

The Democratic-controlled Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill on Wednesday along a party-line vote. The amended bill is expected to pass the Democratic-controlled State Assembly in the next week.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/us/politics/01dream.html

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Now it's time for the federal government to pass the act that would provide a path to citizenship...which would TRULY make a difference for these immigrants - who were brought here as children, of course, something that I don't see in the lead of this supposedly liberal publication. This article quoted a Republican legislator (Tim Donnelly, San Bernardino) as saying: "We are saying to the world: ‘If you haven’t come to California yet illegally, come as soon you can.’ And we’re saying to the people who came legally: 'You guys are idiots.'" Sigh...pitting immigrants against each other over the "no fair" card.

The thing is that the federal government is getting a message from states about immigration whether California and Maryland pass bills supporting the higher education of people brought here illegally as children or Arizona, Alabama, and Georgia creating state-level laws criminalizing failure to produce immigration ID - Alabama even going as far as to make it a crime to transport illegals.

[xchrom]

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