On Thursday, March 17 the Senate Education Committee voted 4 to 1 to pass SB 742, (In-state tuition for illegal aliens), out of committee and on to the floor of the Senate for a vote.

Senator Larry George, (R-Sherwood), was the only committee member to vote against the bill that would give a $17,600 benefit to illegal aliens.    Senator George is quoted in the Oregonian as saying, “We are cutting school days, we can’t fund full day kindergarten, and then we’re passing something that will put an additional burden on the higher education system.”  He further mentioned sthe anomalies that this bill would allow, such as a Vancouver student being unable to receive the in-state tuition rate to attend PSU even if both his parents work in Portland and pay Oregon taxes. Yet an illegal alien, by virtue of his parents hiding out in Oregon for five years, would quality. This is an insult and an extra expense to Oregonians. But thank you for trying, Senator George.   

Voting in favor of giving special privileges to illegal aliens were:

            Sen. Mark Hass (D-Beaverton, Aloha). Committee Chair.

            Sen. Frank Morse (R-Albany)

            Sen. Chip Shields (D-Portland)

            Sen. Suzanne Bonamici  (D- NE Washington and NW Multnomah County)

Senator Morse continues to refer to illegal alien college students as “children.”  Apparently he doesn’t believe that there are sympathetic American citizen “children” worthy of receiving in-state tuition rates.

Please contact your own State Senator, express your disappointment with the Committee's action, and urge your State Senator to oppose SB 742.  Visit http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/ to find the name of your State Senator and contact information.

We had a large contingent of OFIR supporters who showed up at the committee to testify against SB 742.  None were allowed to testify even though they signed up in advance.  No oral testimony was allowed.   The committee just voted.  OFIR member Mary Mayer was one of those denied an opportunity to speak.  She was quoted in the Oregonian as saying, “We have a pathetic bunch of people in charge and that opponents of the bill have been ignored.”  A number of OFIR members had driven many miles in order to testify, signed up in advance, and then they were denied the opportunity to speak.

In addition to ignoring citizens, the Committee also ignored the fact that SB 742 would cost Oregon taxpayers millions of dollars, raise the cost of a college education to American citizens, take scarce spots in universities and reward illegal aliens with a $17,600 per year benefit.

SB 742 has no sunset clause.  Meaning that illegal aliens will continue to be able to receive in-state tuition in perpetuity.   In another slap to American citizenship,

SB 742 only allows 60 days after passage of the bill for someone to file an appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court.  

In-state tuition for illegal aliens forever, 60 days for a citizen to file a lawsuit against the bill.  

$8200 for tuition for illegal aliens, triple the cost for American citizens.

American citizens are becoming second-class people in their own country.

The bill goes to the floor of the Senate and if passed will go the Oregon House.  We will need everyone to make his or her voices heard in opposition.