January 14, 2013 11:28 AM UTC

Democrats To Propose More Ambitious ASSET Bill

• 0 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

AP’s Ivan Moreno reports:

Illegal immigrants who grow up in Colorado could be eligible for in-state tuition, not a compromise in-between tuition rate. That’s what Colorado Democrats are set to propose this week now that they’ve gained full control over the state Legislature.

Democrats say they will drop a compromise tuition proposal made last year to seek a tuition rate higher than those for in-state students but lower than out-of-state levels.

Like civil unions legislation, a bill to create a fairer tuition regime for the student children of undocumented Colorado residents was a prime opportunity for Republicans in the Colorado House to take a step toward reconciling with disaffected Hispanic voters. Recalcitrance and the defeat of ASSET last year helped undo Republicans like Rep. Robert Ramirez, and contributed along with the civil unions debacle at the end of last session to the GOP’s loss of the House.

And now, Democrats are simply ditching a compromise they no longer need to make.