Thread: NE: Committee hears Nebraska immigrant tuition measure

Committee hears Nebraska immigrant tuition measure

February 7, 2011
LINCOLN, Neb.

A legislative committee considers a measure that targets a state law allowing some illegal immigrants to pay in-state college tuition.

Fremont Sen. Charlie Janssen's bill (LB657) repeals the 4-year-old law that deals with students whose parents brought them to the U.S. illegally.

Currently to participate, students must have graduated from Nebraska high schools, lived in the state at least three years and be pursuing or promise to pursue legal status.

Janssen introduced a similar measure last year that didn't advance.

Janssen says this state law conflicts with federal law and that he doesn't think U.S. taxpayers should subsidize tuition for illegal immigrants.

Supporters say it helps children who didn't choose to come to the country illegally.

The Legislature's Education Committee heard the bill on Monday.

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/st ... 002e0.html

NO illegal should be educated here in the USA. That should be the standard. No taxpayers money should go to tuition aid for illegals. No taxpayer money should go to educating an illgal child even in the K-12 range. The Supreme Court missed the boat years ago by saying all K-12 children deserve to be educated even on taxpayers money be they legal or not. This is wrong. It should be all children who are legal citizens of this nation will be educated in our schools. Its about time the Supreme Court pulls their heads out into the daylight and start to make decisions that are realistic, constitutional, and not rule in a certain way because it is trendy or the easy decision. Its time they allow ranchers to be able to defend their property against illegals and drug runnere, Its time they rule that Law Enforcement can check documentation for citizenship in the movement to clean out the illegals from our communities. They also need to rule that there are NO ANCHOR BABIES and that a child born to an illegal couple is also illegal and thus not providing a means for that couple to remain within our borders.

I recieved this email a few days ago in response to one of my calls to State Senator Gwen Howard.

"Thank you for letting me know your views on LB 657.



As you know, the Legislature approved a few years ago legislation allowing in-state tuition for students that have graduated from a Nebraska high school and who have lived in this state for several years. These students are not eligible for any other scholarships or grants. In most instances, these students were brought to this country when they were small children having no say in what their parents did. Right now, this law only impacts about 38 students this school year. I supported the Dream Act when it was originally passed and I do not support its repeal.



I will certainly keep your views in mind during this debate.



I appreciate your taking the time to write.



Sincerely,



Gwen Howard

State Senator"

Treasonous if you ask me.

Senator Gwen Howard said, "Right now, this law only impacts about 38 students this school year. I supported the Dream Act when it was originally passed and I do not support its repeal."

If I were in Nebraska, I'd march 38 legal American High School Juniors who can't afford college costs but are very intelligent down to Senator Gwen Howard's office and make her choose giving U.S. taxpayer money between the 38 illegal immigrants or 38 legal American High School students -- let these U.S. students hear DIRECTLY from Senator Howard WHOM SHE CHOOSES!!!

Im with you
Bill 100 % right :
No Amnesty

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Posted: Tuesday, February 8, 2011 11:15 am | (0) Comments

Font Sizeefault font sizeLarger font size.LINCOLN (AP) - A measure seeking to reverse a state law allowing some illegal immigrants to pay the in-state college tuition rate was heard Monday by the Legislature's Education Committee.

Fremont Sen. Charlie Janssen's bill (LB657), similar to one he introduced last year that failed to advance beyond committee, would repeal the nearly 5-year-old law that deals with students whose parents brought them to the U.S. illegally. To qualify for in-state college tuition, students must have graduated from Nebraska high schools, lived in the state at least three years and be pursuing or promise to pursue legal status.

Janssen reiterated Monday his belief that the state law conflicts with a 1996 federal law that prohibits higher education institutions from giving benefits to illegal immigrants without offering the same break to U.S. citizens. Janssen also pointed to last year's defeat in the U.S. Senate of the so-called Dream Act.

That legislation would have provided a route to legal status for illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. before age 16, have been here for five years, graduated high school or gained an equivalency degree, and who joined the military or attend college.

"I'm not an attorney, but the law of the land seems very clear to me," Janssen said Monday in presenting his bill to the committee.

But plenty of people showed up to disagree, with three times as many people testifying in opposition to the bill as the five who testified in favor of it.

Among them was former state Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln, who was the main force behind the 2006 in-state tuition law.

"It's always been argued that the state law conflicts with federal law," Schimek said. "We presented good evidence on the floor of the Legislature in 2006 to show otherwise."

She noted that tuition for out-of-state students is nearly triple what it is for in-state students - especially burdensome for undocumented students who can't get public tuition aid.

"We lose some of our best and brightest students because they cannot afford to go to college," Schimek said.

Janssen's district includes Fremont, where voters in June approved an ordinance barring landlords from renting to illegal immigrants and businesses from hiring them. That law has yet to be enforced, as the city defends it against a lawsuit seeking to throw it out.

Several of those testifying Monday in favor of repealing the in-state tuition law are from Fremont, and two - Jerry Hart and John Wiegert - had a hand in getting the Fremont ordinance on the ballot.

"If they deserve anything, it's that they should be deported," Hart said of illegal immigrants who would seek in-state tuition. "What we're trying to do here is reward and give incentives for people to come here to this country illegally. To me, it's a slap in the face to everybody who's come here legally."

Shirley Mora James, an attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund - one of two groups challenging the Fremont ordinance - presented the committee with a letter from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency indicating that Nebraska's in-state tuition law is not a violation of federal immigration law.

"We don't hold the children of bank robbers responsible for their parents' crimes," Mora James said. "Why should we hold these children ... and punish them for their parents' actions?"

Janssen said the state law is doing a disservice to illegal immigrants - even those who came to the U.S. as young children - because it leads them to believe they can continue to stay in the country illegally well into adulthood, which could further delay their dreams of becoming U.S. citizens.

But Marshall Hill, director of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, said America needs an educated populace and cannot afford to waste the talents of people living here - legally or otherwise.

"I suppose it boils down to simple human compassion," Hill said. "I acknowledge the complexity of the issue. I don't think either side is wholly right or wholly wrong. But I believe you either get on the side of trying to make progress, or you don't."

http://fremonttribune.com/news/local/ar ... 03286.html