Illegal immigrants barred from junior colleges
Board of education passes policy despite call for delay, absent membersBy Desiree Hunter The Associated Press
Published: Friday, September 26, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, September 26, 2008 at 12:11 a.m.
PELL CITY | The state board of education passed a new policy denying illegal immigrants admission to Alabama’s two-year colleges on Thursday despite one board member’s calls to delay it for more discussion and four of the nine members being absent.

The policy, which takes effect next spring, was passed on a 4-0 vote, with Ethel Hall of Fairfield abstaining. Four board members — David Byers of Birmingham, Ella Bell of Montgomery, Sandra Ray of Tuscaloosa and Gov. Bob Riley — were not at the meeting, which was held in Pell City.

Hall said she was hesitant to vote because there was only a brief discussion when the policy was first presented to the board at a work session two weeks ago.

“I don’t think we’ve done the kind of research we need to do in order to approve the policy,â€