Just over two weeks ago, we began circulating an online petition that calls on Democrat Speaker of the House Jim Amann to keep the In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants bill off the floor of the House.  As you may know, Bridgeport Democrat Felipe Reinoso re-introduced the bill in the State Legislature in February that would give illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at UCONN and the CSUS System. 

With Connecticut already rated 48th best state to do business by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2006, the proposition that the State should subsidize the higher education of illegal immigrants is viewed by many with skepticism.  When this identical bill was vetoed by Governor M. Jodi Rell in 2006, the Governor summed up her feelings on the matter in this way: “I understand these students are not responsible for their undocumented status, having come to the United States with their parents,” Governor Rell said. “The fact remains, however, that these students and their parents are here illegally and neither sympathy nor good intentions can ameliorate that fact.”

Since we began the petition, more than 1000 people have taken the time to add their name to the list.  This being our first major petition of 2008, we are quite pleased at the level of response.  We will bring you an update later in the week after we send the petition to the Speaker.