Colorado ASSET Faces Senate Tomorrow

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by: c rork

The Colorado ASSET bill will come before the Senate for a floor vote tomorrow at 9am. If it passes, if faces a much tougher fight in the House, with only 30 votes locked in.

This bill would allow around 400 Colorado students, who have played by the rules, stayed in school and likely had no choice as to what their immigration status would be as children. The estimated $2-4 million in revenue expected from the bill would help to soften a projected $36 million cut to higher education, one that would reduce per pupil spending by a little less than $1000.

These students have no home. I knew students in high school that knew they had little chance of advancing themselves once they graduated purely because of their immigration status. If they can’t receive in-state tuition in the state they grew up in and went to school in, what options are left for them to advance themselves? It is nonsensical that after contributing over $100,000 for a students’ K-12 education we would make attending college unaffordable.

Steve Jordan, president of Metropolitan State College of Denver said, “We have to stop thinking about the what we have been spending on these children in grades K-12 as an expense and instead as an investment in intellectual capital.”

I wanted to touch on something that I heard during the speech on the deficit; I believe in a country where if you work hard, play by the rules and get yourself an education, anything should be possible. How have these kids not exemplified this idea? The ability for residents of our state to receive in-state tuition is part of a compact that we have with our residents. I refuse to believe that we live in a state that, after providing a child education for 13 years, firmly shuts the door in their face when they attempt to better themselves.

5 thoughts on “Colorado ASSET Faces Senate Tomorrow”

RedGreen says:

April 15, 2011 at 3:19 am

If only.

That’s 30 Democratic votes locked in for the House, where 33 are needed to pass the bill.

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1. c rork says:
  
  April 15, 2011 at 3:34 am
  
  Must have been wishful thinking. Fixed.
  
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Diogenesdemar says:

April 15, 2011 at 7:36 am

. . . we live in a state that, after providing a child education for 13 years, firmly shuts the door in their face when they attempt to better themselves.

It will be because we live in a state where the majority of Republican legislators and their enablers honestly believe that the very best reward for

400 Colorado students, who have played by the rules, stayed in school and likely had no choice as to what their immigration status would be as children

is for both the kids and there parents to be stuffed into a crate and shipped to Sinoloa. (Either that, or let the whole family clean toilets, pick crops, and tend lawns for the rest of their natural lives.)

Lou Reed had these fucking creeps and their vision for America pegged:

“Give me your hungry, your tired, your poor — I’ll piss on ’em.

That’s what the Statue of Bigotry says.

Your poor huddled masses?

Let’s club ’em to death and get it over with

and just dump ’em on the boulevard.”

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Go Raiders* says:

April 15, 2011 at 6:27 pm

Let’s say for the sake of argument that these students are granted in-state tuition and graduate. Then what?

If they are not legal immigrants, then they will not be able to legally work and apply the degree(s) that they have earned.

So at that point, where is the return on investment for granting in-state tuition?

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1. droll says:
  
  April 15, 2011 at 6:49 pm
  
  either be saved by reform, or, the better chance, be able to use the adult years to obtain citizenship.
  
  I tend to fall on the side of not doing tuition reform. Keep reading before reacting! In-state or out, without financial aid, or rich parents, most students aren’t going to make it. I did because I had an awesome job with an awesome boss. By definition, these kids can’t. For me, it’s too Ellis Island. We’ll take your rich and/or brilliant, the rest can go home.
  
  I know that’s not what ANY of the supporters are doing, I’m just cynical enough to think that’s the way it would end up. Even more regrettably (as I’ve seen in a certain election) politicians will use these votes to run on.
  
  I’d adore some immigration reform! Frankly, if you’ve gone to school here for ten years, and graduate, you’re a citizen. Who the hell is going to a birth country they’ve never seen after all that time?
  
  But it’s probably not going to happen, so instead we have to fight for whatever we can get. Even if it isn’t always ultra-logical and sucks on different levels.
  
  It’s something for kids working their asses off for what could become nothing at all. SIGH. Legitimate question though.
  
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