Most of immigration bill ruled valid

Posted: Feb 11, 2009 05:32 PM CST





OKLAHOMA CITY - A district court judge in Tulsa - with one exception - has upheld the constitutionality a 2007 law enacted to combat illegal immigration.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Sandy Rinehart says Judge Jefferson Sellers ruled Wednesday that the section dealing with tuition was not germane to the act and violated the single-subject rule of the Oklahoma Constitution.

Rinehart says state attorneys successfully defended the rest of the law.

She says the judge objected to the provision that changed a law that allowed children of illegal immigrants to get resident tuition. Under the change, students that get GED degrees cannot qualify.

Rinehart says Jefferson ruled that provision had nothing to do with the purpose of the bill, which is to discourage immigration.

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