Thread: TN: Opening the Door for Education

Opening the door for education

By David Cook
Wednesday, February 19, 2014

In a week or so, state Sen. Todd Gardenhire plans to introduce legislation that will take some political bravery. His bill deals with a politically emotional topic -- the kind we yell at the TV about -- and is not necessarily along party lines. It may not even be the most popular idea -- at least just yet -- among his constituents.

"This won't benefit Todd Gardenhire one bit," he said Monday.
So why do it? Who does benefit?

"Kids," he said.

Gardenhire, wonderfully, is becoming a leading legislator regarding Tennessee's education policy. He recently introduced a bill that would allow born-in-America-children of illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state college tuition at a public college.

"I've got 18,000 Latino households in my district," he said. "On Saturday at 5 p.m., go down here to the East Lake Community Center and you'll find classes going on. ... It's packed out. These kids want an education. It's amazing what they want and what we won't give them."

His next bill is even more transformative. It's the same idea -- in-state tuition at a public college -- with one change.

"Anybody that is not a Tennessee resident, a U.S. citizen or not," said Gardenhire. "If they've gone to school here for five years, I say let them go ahead and pay in-state tuition."

You may not be a U.S. citizen.

Your parents may be undocumented immigrants.
But as long as you can prove you've been in Tennessee schools for five years, and you can maintain a GPA worthy of a Hope Scholarship, then the price tag for college becomes a reasonable, instead of out-of-reach, out-of-state tuition.

"Anybody," he said.

Story Continued with comments

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2...-foreducation/

Senator Todd Gardenshire appears to be representing the thousands of illegal aliens in his district and across the state in his push for in state tuition. He stands with Democrats, President Obama, La Raza, AFL-CIO, Mexico, etc. in his advocacy for a state Dream Act - Amnesty.

Other Tennessee Republicans supporting his most recent efforts to reach out to illegal aliens and their families are Senators Delores Gresham (first Latina), Steven Dickerson, Charlotte Burks.