Thread: Chris Christie OK with Dream Act, but will not sign N.J. Senate version

Chris Christie OK with Dream Act, but will not sign N.J. Senate version


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By Jenna Portnoy/The Star-Ledger
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on November 25, 2013 at 8:27 PM, updated November 25, 2013 at 8:34 PM

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Gov. Chris Christie, shown here on the campaign trail, answered listener questions on his monthly radio show on NJ 101.5 tonight.

John O'Boyle/The Star-Ledger

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie tonight said he would not sign the current Senate version of the so-called Dream Act, but that he still wants to extend in-state tuition to the children of immigrants who came to this country illegally.

“They’re overreaching and making it unsignable and making the benefits richer than the federal program, the federal Dream Act, that’s simply not acceptable for me," the Republican governor said during his monthly call-in show on NJ 101.5 FM.

The Senate on Nov. 18 approved the measure (S2479), which advocates say will affect tens of thousands of New Jersey residents. A different version of the bill is working its way through the Assembly, where leaders say they expect to put it up for a vote soon.

“They have time to change that between now and Jan 14. If they do, I will, if they don’t, I won’t," Christie said of the likelihood he would sign it.

The Assembly version covers in-state tuition, but not financial aid, which is in the Senate bill, according to Assembly Democrats spokesman Tom Hester Jr.

Christie did not lay out all of his problems with the Senate bill, but he told listeners Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), the prime sponsor, know what they are. Sweeney did not immediately return a request for comment tonight.

"There are a number of problems with the Senate bill that I’ve made very clear to the Senate President and that my staff has made very clear to Senate Ruiz," Christie said.

The governor did point to a loophole in the bill that could allow out-of-state residents – regardless of their immigration status – to qualify for in-state tuition if they attend private high school in New Jersey.

State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) has said she abstained on the bill for that reason, and because New Jersey residents could move to other states for years, then return and qualify for in-state tuition because they went to high school here.

These provisions could make New Jersey a “magnet state” for students seeking in-state tuition, Christie said.

“I think most people in New Jersey would go, ‘Well that’s stupid, let’s fix that.’ We asked the Senate to change that, they have not,” Christie said.

Christie — who won 51 percent of the Hispanic vote in his Nov. 5 re-election, according to exit polls — has expressed general support for the idea of in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, but has offered little in the way of details. He previously opposed the idea, citing tight budgets, but reversed his position days before the election.

Sixteen states already offer in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Star-Ledger Staff Writer Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf..._governor.html

While it is great to see Chris Christie running for cover later in the day after ALIPAC activists started bombarding his offices with calls against in-state tuition for illegals, check out what he is saying now!

The governor did point to a loophole in the bill that could allow out-of-state residents – regardless of their immigration status – to qualify for in-state tuition if they attend private high school in New Jersey.

State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) has said she abstained on the bill for that reason, and because New Jersey residents could move to other states for years, then return and qualify for in-state tuition because they went to high school here.

These provisions could make New Jersey a “magnet state” for students seeking in-state tuition, Christie said.

He has stepped in it even further now because he is saying he supports in-state tuition for illegal aliens but not for Americans in other states.

Chris Christie just made it clear he supports benefits for illegals he wont support for American citizens!

W

I contacted the governor's office and spoke with staffer. Left my comments in regard to governor's political ambitions and amnesty/instate tuition rewards for illegal aliens. I also left the impact in dollars, etc. that coddling illegal aliens has had on my area.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS | NOVEMBER 26, 2013 AT 8:55 AM

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Legislature doesn't plan to amend an immigrant tuition bill to reflect Gov. Chris Christie's changes.

Christie on Monday said he would not sign the bill that passed the Senate because its benefits are too generous.

The bill allows students in the country illegally who graduate from a New Jersey high school to pay cheaper in-state tuition at state colleges, and to receive financial aid.

The Hispanic community cheered when Christie showed support for the Dream Act-style legislation while campaigning for re-election.

The bill would allow students in the country illegally at private high schools to also qualify for in-state tuition.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/immigr...rticle/2539798

Despite warnings from Gov. Chris Christie, Assembly plans to amend DREAM Act to provide for state aid


The Assembly will amend its DREAM Act bill to match the Senate's despite warnings from the governor that he won't sign it.(TONY KURDZUK/THE STAR-LEDGER)

By Darryl Isherwood/NJ.com
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on November 26, 2013 at 11:46 AM, updated November 26, 2013 at 12:25 PM

The Assembly will amend its DREAM Act bill, which grants in-state tuition to the children of undocumented immigrants, to match what the Senate has already passed, according to a statement from the bill's sponsor, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson.

The Assembly will amend its bill despite assurances from the governor that he won't sign it, Johnson said.

"Gov. Christie promised to sign a bill, and he's going to get a bill with in-state tuition rates and state aid eligibility," Johnson said. "That's the right bill to move, and if he rejects it, then he's going to have to explain his broken promise to the young New Jerseyans and families who need tuition equality."

During a radio appearance last night, Gov. Chris Christie said he would
not sign the bill as it was passed in the Senate. He pointed to a loophole in the bill that
would allow for out of state residents attending private school to receive in-state
tuition as one reason, but hinted he'd had discussions with Senate President
Steve Sweeney about others.

Gov. Christie promised to sign a bill, and he's going to get a bill with in-state tuition rates and state aid eligibility.

Sweeney immediately returned the governor's fire, saying Christie promised to sign it while running for governor but was reneging now that he was running for president.
In addition to the in-state tuition, the Senate bill would grant state aid to students who meet the criteria. That portion of the bill is reportedly one of the sticking points, though Christie did not identify it during the radio appearance.

During his campaign for reelection, Christie threw his support behind the bill on his way to an unprecedented Election Day showing among Hispanics.

Though he had not supported the measure in the past, the governor said his opposition had to do with economics and not politics.

Johnson also is considering an amendment that would ensure that tuition aid grants retain their value for all students.

Earlier a spokesman for Sweeney said the Senate has no plans to change the bill,

"We expect that the bill passed in the Senate will be the one that goes to the governor's desk," said spokesman Chris Donnelly.

The bill must be passed in the Assembly and signed by the governor before January 14, when the current legislative session ends. If not, the bill will need to be reintroduced in both houses.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf...e_version.html

By Aaron Blake
December 2 at 5:31 pm
The Washington Post


New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). (John Gress/ Reuters)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) forcefully denied Monday that he has switched positions on in-state tuition for young illegal immigrants, saying he continues to support the idea but won't sign the specific bill passed by the state legislature.

Christie said during his 2013 reelection campaign that he supported the concept of the legislation, commonly known as the Dream Act. He wound up winning 51 percent of the Latino vote, according to exit polls.

But when the state legislature initially passed the legislation, Christie said it went too far -- including offering financial aid for these students -- and risked making New Jersey a magnet for young illegal immigrants. He asked the Democratic-controlled state legislature to make changes to the measure and said he wouldn't sign it without them. The legislature declined, leading to a stalemate.

On Sunday, the state's largest newspaper, the Star-Ledger, accused Christie of flip-flopping on the issue because he wants to run for the GOP nomination for president in 2016.

Christie reiterated Monday that he won't sign the bill as it's currently written but said it has everything to do with the other parts of the bill and not in-state tuition. He said his position during this year's campaign pertained to the general idea and not a specific piece of legislation and, thus, has been consistent.

"I didn’t support any particular piece of legislation, and I still support tuition equality," Christie said, according to a transcript. "Here’s what I don’t support: I don’t support tuition aid grants in addition to in-state tuition rates; never said that I did, and don’t as we stand here today."

While 16 states provide in-state tuition for young illegal immigrants, only three go a step further and provide financial aid, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. New Jersey would be the fourth.

Christie also argued that the New Jersey legislation would give young illegal immigrants a benefit that isn't even available to U.S. citizens. He said that if an illegal immigrant from outside the state attended a New Jersey school for three years, the bill would allow for him or her to get in-state tuition, while a U.S. citizen from outside the state in the same situation wouldn't get that benefit.

"So that’s an inequity that is pretty easily cleared up and cleaned up, and they’ve refused to do that," Christie said of the state legislature.

Christie also said that the legislation needs to only apply to illegal immigrants who were in the United States by 2012, so that it doesn't lead to more illegal immigration in the future.

Absent those changes, he said, "I won’t sign it. And so I don’t think this is any different position than I've had all along. I am for tuition equality as I said that night at the Latino Leadership Alliance. I am for tuition equality. I am not for adding tuition aid grants."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...n-immigration/