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Monday, March 11, 2013

Arkansas Politics Elliott files bill to close tuition gap for undocumented students

Posted by Lindsey Millar on Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 9:36 AM

Brian Chilson
ELLIOTT

As promised, Sen. Joyce Elliott (D-Little Rock) has filed a bill that would allow undocumented students — many of whom, as David Koon described in a recent cover story, were brought here as small children and know no other country — an opportunity to receive in-state tuition rates at state colleges. Currently, they're forced to pay much higher out of state rates, a situation that puts extreme financial pressure on the students and their families.

Elliott's bill would allow anyone who attends high school in Arkansas for at least three years and graduates from an Arkansas high school or receives a GED to receive in-state tuition rates at state colleges. An undocumented student would have to file an affidavit with her state college of choice stating that she intends to work towards becoming legal.

Elliott made the case for the bill to David Koon last month:

"What law do we have in place that specifically punishes kids for the actions of their parents?" she said. "It might come about as a byproduct of something parents have done — parents in prison, for example. But there is not a policy in place that says if your parents go to prison, you won't be allowed to go to school. But in this case, we are holding children accountable by an actual policy for the actions of their parents. And that's unfair."

Co-sponsors include Sen. Johnny Key (R-Mountain Home), Rep. Les Carnine (R-Rogers), Rep. Greg Leding (D-Fayetteville) and Rep. Sheilla Lampkin (D-Monticello). With Republicans Key and Carnine aboard, it's likely got a decent shot at passing.

In an email, Lampkin wrote David Koon explaining why she's supporting the bill.

I do plan to support the DREAM Act because I believe all have the right to an education. As I see it, these students are asking for no scholarships or special privileges other than an opportunity to educate themselves and be a part of a better educated, trained work force and contributor to our society.

I believe in all our children and these are ours too. I have been contacted by youngsters and adults alike who support this and I believe it is the right thing to do.

Tags: Joyce Elliott, Les Carnine, Johnny Key, Sheilla Lampkin, Greg Leding

        
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Arkansas Blog

Monday, March 11, 2013

Arkansas Politics Elliott files bill to close tuition gap for undocumented students

Posted by Lindsey Millar on Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 9:36 AM

Speaking of...

A new school leader in Mineral Springs, a political rumor from Fayetteville and a deconstruction of Rep. Tom Cotton's slam of Obamacare. /more/

Some legislators and legislation shone. /more/

The line is open. What'll we do now that the legislature's done? /more/

Sen. Joyce Elliott's bill to allow colleges to charge in-state tuition to undocumented immigrant students who've graduated from Arkansas high schools and had sufficient residency here failed in a Senate committee today. /more/

Rep. Randy Alexander's bill to impose a two-year moratorium on consolidation of school districts that fail to have 350-student enrollment for two years failed in the House today. /more/

Sen. Joyce Elliott will try again today. A resolution for Arkansas to ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment is on the Senate State Agencies Committee agenda at 10 a.m. this morning. /more/

Within days, we will know whether the Arkansas DREAM Act, the legislation focused on providing in-state college tuition to undocumented young people who have been educated in the state's high schools, has legs in this legislative session. /more/

Here's an open line. Also: * VOTER INITIATIVES: Here's an article by Paul Jacob, a North Little Rock native who was an important foot soldier in the national campaign to pass term limits. /more/

A two-week grassroots campaign on social media brought maybe 500 people to the Capitol on a cold, rainy day Saturday to protest the legislature's attack on women's medical rights (and speakers invoked a range of other liberty-infringing efforts by the legislature). /more/

The first annual Arkansas Legislative Hoops For Kids' Sake Game is coming up on Tuesday, and we're really, really excited here at the Times. So much so that we've wasted a couple hours making 10 basketball cards of participating members, replete with nicknames and scouting reports. /more/

Comments (13)

More by Lindsey Millar

He's celebrating the death of Hugo Chavez.

"Lioness" is from Iron Tongue's debut full length, "The Dogs Have Barked, The Birds Have Flown."

Readers also liked…

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Another chapter in the story of Arkansas Republican Party retaliation against those who would make Republican Secretary of State Mark Martin look bad by shining the light on his misjudgments.

The worst of Michele Bachmann. Republicans hold a witch hunt. Mark Halperin is a dick. Juanita's goes clubbing. Homophobia on parade.

People who saved…

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