Thread: Christie Gives Undocumented Students Access to In-State Tuition

Christie Gives Undocumented Students Access to In-State Tuition

Amanda Muñoz | Dec 31, 2013
160 comments



New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed landmark legislation at the end of December which allowed the state’s undocumented high school students access to in-state tuition at all public colleges and universities.
Under the new legislation, students who graduated from a New Jersey high school where they had been in attendance for at least three years are eligible to receive in-state and in-county rates at state colleges, universities, and community college campuses.
“This is what compromise looks like,” the governor said of the bill, deemed the state’s “Dream Act.” Christie signed the original bill with a conditional veto, forcing Democrats in the Legislature to remove a provision that allowed access to state financial aid. Upon the bill’s return, both the Senate and the Assembly quickly agreed to Christie’s revision.
While many in the state hailed the passage as an historic compromise, Christie still came under fire from critics on both the left and right. Immigration advocates claim Christie’s exclusion of access to financial aid unfairly punishes students who were brought to this country by no choice of their own and produces a roadblock to their potential success. Critics on the right are afraid that the legislation, as is, will cost the state millions of taxpayer dollars and reduce the number of opportunities for native-born and legal immigrant students.
The New York Times reported Christie stating, “I care about taking care of New Jersey kids, whether they’re citizens or undocumented.” The same article cited New Jersey as part of a handful of states that allow in-state tuition for undocumented students, with only three states – California, Texas, and New Mexico – allowing unauthorized immigrants access to financial assistance.
Despite increasing political speculation as 2016 approaches, Christie continues to work through controversial topics in a deeply democratic state. As the political events in the Garden State gain more national attention, we will see if the Governor's leadership style appeals to a broader base.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/amandam...ition-n1770042

working to get an alert out to inform Americans of the bad news that Chris Christie is an illegal alien invasion supporting traitor and that NJ falls to the illegals.

W

Chris Christie and N.J. Democrats reach agreement on DREAM Act



Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) speaks during a press conference announcing a deal on the DREAM Act. State Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), the bill’s sponsor, left, listens. Thursday

TRENTON — Students who grew up in New Jersey but are in the country illegally will soon be able to pay in-state tuition at its public colleges and universities.

After weeks of feuding between Republican Gov. Chris Christie and Democrats who control the Legislature over the so-called “DREAM Act,” the two sides reached a breakthrough today and agreed to a compromise.
“I’m overwhelmed with joy,” said state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), the bill’s sponsor, as she fought back tears. Ruiz and state Senate leaders announced the deal at a press conference this morning, surrounded by students donning cap and gown outfits.

Christie today plans to sign legislation that would allow unauthorized immigrants who graduated high school in New Jersey after attending for at least three years to be eligible for the lower in-state rates at public higher educational institutions, including in-county rates at community colleges.

But first, he’ll conditionally veto the bill (S2479) the state Assembly plans to send him this afternoon. Christie will strike a provision that would make the students eligible for state financial aid programs, including Tuition Aid Grants (TAG). Democrats have agreed to concur with the conditional veto, sending it once again to Christie for his signature.

“The only piece of this bill that didn’t survive is the TAG Grant,” said Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester).”I’m disappointed with that, but I still view this as a victory for young people who are Americans in everything but on paper.”

Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen), the bill’s sponsor in the lower house, had already said he was open to the compromise, but Sweeney had said he didn’t think Democratic senators would go along with it.

Getting the bill done before January is important, supporters said, so the students could pay the in-state rates starting next semester.

The compromise brings to a close an especially tense period between Christie, the Legislature and immigrant advocates.

While courting Hispanic votes during his re-election campaign, Christie said he supported the concept of “tuition equality.” But he did not elaborate on what he meant until the bill began rapidly advancing through the Legislature. Then, he took issue with several parts of the bill, including the financial aid eligibility.

Immigrant advocates accused Christie of going back on his word, saying he could have raised those concerns earlier. They alleged he was looking for a way out of supporting the measure.

Christie also said he opposed part of the bill that would allow out-of-state students who went to high school in New Jersey to pay in-state tuition rates, regardless of their immigration status, and that he wanted the bill only to apply to students who came to the country by 2012. Sweeney, however, said he will not alter the bill any further.

Lawmakers vowed that they would continue to push to make the students eligible for state financial aid.

“We will not stop the quest to make this completely equal,” Sweeney said.

Giancarlo Tello, whose parents brought him in the country illegally when he was six-years-old, said he had to drop out of Rutgers-Newark because he couldn’t keep up with the out-of-state tuition rates.

“I’ll finally be able to go back to school,” Tello, 23, said.

But Tello – who helps lead an organization that fought for the bill, said they’re “begrudgingly” accepting compromise and faulted Christie for not agreeing to sign the whole bill.

“We are going to remember our friends who stood by us,” Tello said. “And we’ll remember those who thought we only deserve crumbs, such as Gov. Christie, and we’re not going to forget that. And we’re going to come back next year.”

Ruiz said they’ll continue to work on the financial aid portion.

“The reality is the administration will change in four years,” she said.

Then Sweeney jumped in: “If not sooner.”

The Office of Legislative Services said that because there is no reliable data for the number of unauthorized immigrant students in New Jersey schools, it was "unable to project the potential reduction in tuition revenue if students were paying in-State tuition rather than out-of-State tuition."

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

Chris Christie: This Is What Compromise Looks Like

Students who grew up in New Jersey but are in the country illegally will soon be able to pay in-state tuition at its public colleges and universities. After weeks of feuding between Republican Gov. Chris Christie and Democrats who control the Legislature over the so-called “DREAM Act,” the two sides reached a breakthrough Thursday and agreed to a compromise. (Video by Michael Monday/The Star-Ledger)

Chris Christie on the DREAM Act: This is what compromise looks like Students who grew up in New Jersey but are in the country illegally will soon be able to pay in-state tuition at its public colleges and universities. After weeks of feuding between Republican Gov. Chris Christie and Democrats who control the Legislature over the so-called “DREAM Act,” the two sides reached a breakthrough Thursday and agreed to a compromise. (Video by Michael Monday/The Star-Ledger)

VIDEO


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

the GOP / RNC had better not stick this all you can eat Chicken Wings fool in front of the Republican Party and say ONCE AGAIN "The Only way We can Win is to vote for Christy"

Just like they did with McCain

Just like they did with Romney

and so forth and so on

No one is even talking about the Sharia compliant Muslim he put on the NJ Supreme court after firing a African American Judge

Christy is talked about as a front Runner: I am preparing to vote for Mass Killer Hillary if this man is pushed to the forefront as the POTUS

GOP looking at governors for 2016 presidential race

http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/12/29/...-for-2016.html

1. Chris Christie: Republicans' best hope in 2016?
   
   CBS News ‎- 5 days ago
   N.J. gov. has a modest lead in GOP primary, and he's the only Republican who runs competitively against Hillary Clinton, new polls show.
   

1. Hillary Clinton, Chris Christie Run Neck And Neck In 2016 Poll
   
   Huffington Post‎ - 5 days ago
   
   
2. Poll: Clinton, Christie All Tied Up in 2016
   
   Wall Street Journal (blog)‎ - 5 days ago
   

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie—with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, considered a frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, if Mitt Romney should lose the current election—this week wrapped President Barack Obama in a warm embrace, publicly praising the president's response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy.

Not only did Christie publicly praise the president on several occasions, but also he said, to Fox News, “I have no idea [if Mitt Romney plans to visit New Jersey after Sandy], nor am I the least bit concerned or interested. I have a job to do in New Jersey that is much bigger than presidential politics. I could care less about any of that stuff … If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.”

The timing of Hurricane Sandy has been unlucky for Romney, who not only has had to watch the president behaving presidentially, but also has had his previous remarks on federal disaster response (he's in favor of killing FEMA and handing the job of disaster response to cash-strapped state and city governments) dredged up and hurled back in his face.


http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinio...christie-2016/

Chris Christie Gives Illegal Aliens Foothold in NJ Complete with in-state tuition

Chris Christie will never be president of America. This two-faced liar campaigned and won the Governorship of New Jersey by criticizing his opponent, John Corzine, for supporting licenses and in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

Now, Chris Christie wants to run for the position of president and he has just signed a bill that grants in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

This means that New Jersey taxpayers will now be forced to pay thousands of dollars in taxes each year to subsidize each illegal immigrant going to their colleges. Since New Jersey colleges fill up each year, this means that illegal aliens will displace American students who need those limited seats!

Forcing taxpayers to give in-state tuition subsidies to illegal aliens will only encourage more people to illegally immigrate to America and New Jersey.

Chris Christie is clearly a liar whom no voter can trust regardless of their position on in-state tuition for illegals.

Please review the bad news for Americans and good news for illegal alien invaders and then call Chris Christie to tell him that he will never become president of America because he just ended his political career by signing in-state tuition for illegal aliens into law.

Christie Gives Illegal Aliens Access to In-State Tuition
http://www.alipac.us/content.php?r=2...-State-Tuition

Call Chris Christie and let him know how angry you are at 609-292-6000