In-State college tuition for illegals has been dropped

We have noted here the tendency of fiscally challenged New Jersey legislators to use lame duck sessions to stuff through 'feel good' legislation with unfunded mandates while they think no one is watching. We have also noted specifically the poorly conceived bill promoted by Democrats Rice and Ruiz of Essex that would essentially grant a college tuition subsidy (in-state tuition) to illegal immigrants. The in-state tuition system was created as a nod to the taxpayers of our state who FUND our colleges and universities. It recognizes that WE THE TAXPAYER have invested in these institutions and will get a discount when our children enroll in them for that financial support. Illegals do not pay taxes and do not support these institutions therefore are not entitled to the discount. A college education is not a civil right. And now this silly bill is dead (from NorthJersey.com):

The sponsor of a bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to pay lower in-state tuition rates at New Jersey’s public colleges called off a vote on it Monday because he lacked the support needed to pass.

“We just don’t have enough votes,” explained Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, adding that it was about four votes short of the necessary 21 during the closing hours of the Legislature’s lame-duck session .

Added Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, who was a co-sponsor of the bill, “I’m hugely disappointed. This was a matter of fairness.”

The bill’s sponsor in the Assembly, Gordon Johnson, D-Englewood, had said that although the Assembly seemed to have enough votes to pass the measure, it would not hold a vote without passage in the Senate .

Perhaps the sponsor's of this bill can now concentrate on promoting a culture of job creation in the state for its citizens and taxpayers and get the state's fiscal house in order.

Read the NorthJersey article here.

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