Thursday, January 12, 2006
Immigrant Tuition Bill Defeated
Mass. House votes no on rate cut for the undocumented
Massachusetts House members last night decisively defeated a controversial bill to extend in-state tuition rates at public colleges to undocumented immigrants, effectively killing the measure for this year.
The 96-to-57 tally surprised advocates of the bill, who believed they had enough votes to win approval in the House and at one point were predicting they may have enough support to override a certain veto from Governor Mitt Romney.
Opponents of the bill appeared well organized, and in recent days they had flooded some legislators with phone calls urging them to vote against the measure. Some lawmakers were told they would face opponents in this fall's elections if they supported the bill.
''I've gotten dozens upon dozens of calls and e-mails, and they were all of one view," said House minority leader Bradley H. Jones, a North Reading Republican, who opposed the legislation. ''Members heard people's apprehension about giving benefits to undocumented people."
The defeat followed an unusually emotional day at the State House. As legislators offered impassioned speeches on the House floor, young students, some of whom said they were undocumented immigrants, gathered on the marble floor outside the chamber, watching the debate on a small television, growing more deflated as the evening wore on and it became clear they would lose.
See full Story- Boston.com
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This is quite good news! Illegals getting financial assistance for education is one of the most absurd cases of PCism in extent today. It rewards illegal activity with the highest of rewards a society can give; an education.
Let's hope that Taxachusettskeeps this back-bone and does not ever return this bill for consideration.
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# posted by Publius @ 1/12/2006 10:22:00 PM 
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