Thread: California Dream Act one step closer to reality

California Dream Act one step closer to reality
LA Times
L.A. NOW
Southern California -- this just in
August 25, 2011 | 12:52 pm

A key state Senate committee approved Thursday a hotly debated bill to give college students who are illegal immigrants access to public financial aid in what supporters see as their best hope for success since the battle began five years ago.

AB 131, part of a two-bill package known as the California Dream Act, would allow undocumented students who qualify for reduced in-state tuition to apply for an estimated $38 million in Cal Grants, community college fee waivers and other public financial aid.

Versions of the bill have been approved since 2006 but were vetoed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; Gov. Jerry Brown, who last month signed a companion bill allowing undocumented students to apply for $88 million in private aid, has said he would have signed the bills that Schwarzenegger vetoed last year.

Many undocumented students say the aid will be a godsend, allowing them to pursue their dreams of a college education. But foes call the bill a giveaway to illegal immigrants at a time of deep financial stress.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... .A.+Now%29

Texas has had the Dream Act for 10 years.

How has CA. managed to fight it off this long?

How can we prevent it for another 10 years?

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Texas has had the Dream Act for 10 years.

How has CA. managed to fight it off this long?

How can we prevent it for another 10 years?

Texas has been giving IAs public grants?
I'm pretty sure NY does but nobody here in the MSM addresses it.

RELATED

Perry Reaffirms Support for Texas DREAM Act
By Bryan Llenas
Published July 26, 2011

Texas Governor and potential 2012 Presidential nominee Rick Perry still supports his state's DREAM Act ten years after it was passed despite strong Republican opposition - but he maintains he does not support the act at the federal level . . .

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-245049.html

RELATED

DREAM Act (Part II) Breaks Out of Committee, Heads to California State Senate Floor

The Informer
By Simone Wilson Thu., Aug. 25 2011 at 12:05 PM

The controversial second part of the DREAM Act just overcame its biggest obstacle to becoming a reality.

Governor Jerry Brown signed the first part without blinking an eye last month: Based on that bill, undocumented immigrants can now receive private scholarships from California universities.

But part two, AB 131, is a trickier beast. It would allow all illegal aliens who have graduated high school (or passed the GED) to receive taxpayer-funded financial aid, such as CalGrants. The bill has been stuck in both Senate and Assembly committees...

... for months, because of its large price tag. But as of this morning, the Senate Appropriations Committee has released it to legislators for a final vote.

From here, the largely liberal Senate is expected to pass it, as well as the Assembly, says Luis Quinonez, legislative aid to Assemblymember Gil Cedillos, the L.A. politician who proposed the bill.

Where AB 131's future is still unclear is on the desk of Governor Brown.

"He hasn't explicitly indicated support," says Quinonez. And initially, Brown "did raise concerns about the costs of the bill."

However, the Assemblymember's aid says that since Brown saw it last, DREAM Act (Part II) has been rewritten to exclude adult-school and technical-school students. So its costs are now clearer, and perhaps more feasible amid California's budget crisis.

Still -- it'll cost taxpayers from $20.5 million to $30.5 million a year. (View its full history in the Legislature here.)

The ticket to a better future for undocumented immigrants should be out of Senate by early next week, and to Brown by the first few days of September, according to Quinonez. "All California bills have to be out before September 9," he says, "and we don't want to wait until deadline."

We've contacted Brown's office to feel out his level of support for the bill. (Though on the optimistic front, the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles says "we expect him to sign.")

This is big, guys. Aside from President Obama's radical move toward amnesty last week, it would be the most boat-roacking victory for immigration activists -- especially young, educated ones -- in recent history.

[@simone_electra/swilson@laweekly.com]

Source: http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011 ... mittee.php

Still -- it'll cost taxpayers from $20.5 million to $30.5 million a year.

We're out of money, haven't they gotten that memo? Regardless, such money should go to American kids.

John and Ken have been all over this. Heard one lady call in. Her son previously qualified for grant money to help with college. Her husband lost his job so they spent all of their retirement money to pay off their house. They didn't want to worry about having a roof over their head. Consequently this payoff alerted bells to the officials who give out the grants, they said they made too much money so their son no longer qualified. They attempted to explain the situation but no one would listen. She was livid over the idea illegals may get such money when her son can't. John and Ken said they could do an entire show on such stories they've been told.