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.

A week ago, we featured our In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants petition on this page as well as on The Republican Heard, the weekly e-newsletter of the Connecticut Republican Party.  Since that time, more than 700 residents of Connecticut have signed the petition, clearly showing the opposition that exists in Connecticut to this measure.

In 2007, the Democrat Supermajority rammed the bill through the General Assembly and onto the Governor’s desk.  Gov. Rell vetoed the bill and sent it back.  Though their Party was in possession of the 2/3 majority necessary, moderate Democrats broke ranks and made the veto override impossible. 

Bridgeport Democrat Felipe Reinoso re-introduced the bill in 2008 and is pushing for action to be taken on the issue.  Speaker Jim Amann has the power to decide what happens to the measure - will it die without ever coming to the floor or is it acted upon by the House of Representatives?  CTGOP is asking Speaker Amann to keep it off the table.  714 people have signed their name to that petition so far.

We will spend the next week promoting this petition and encouraging people to sign it, before sending a copy to the Speaker’s office.

If you are interested, please feel free to click the link above and sign your name to the petition.

Last year, Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed the bill that would have given the children of illegal immigrants in-state tuition to attend UCONN and CSUS schools. She vetoed the bill, saying at the time, “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”.

Democrat State Rep. Felipe Reinoso of Bridgeport re-introduced the bill this year and are going to be pushing aggressively for the measure. We need Speaker Jim Amann, who controls what legislation comes to the floor of the House, to keep the bill from coming up for a vote. Sign the petition and write a letter to your legislators now - in-state tuition for illegal immigrants is just wrong.

Critics will come back with the tired old retort that they always use - “Racism!”  But the Party of Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan has always stood for civil rights and equality.  The Republican Party has also always stood for the rule of law in our society - and rewarding illegal activity cannot be the standard that we set in this State.

Sign the petition now by visiting CTGOP!