By Bill Cummings ~ ctpost ~ April 20, 2018
HARTFORD — For the third year in a row, the state Senate passed a bill that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain financial aid at state colleges and universities.
"This is a great day in this chamber, and what we stand for in terms of basic fairness," said State Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford.
The legislation passed by a bipartisan vote of 30-6 and now heads to the House, where previous versions have died without a vote. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, earlier in the day promised the bill will receive a House vote, possibly on Thursday .
The bill follows provisions contained in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, policy, which allows illegal immigrants who came to U.S. as children and have lived in the U.S. for most of their lives to remain in the country if they meet certain requirements.
President Donald Trump canceled the DACA program but a federal court stayed that order as the matter is deliberated. A few state senators cited Trump’s policy and hoped Connecticut’s adoption of the law would prod Washington to reinstate the protections.
"Why has it taken Washington so long to fix this?" asked state Sen. Craig Miner, R-Litchfield. "Many of my constituents have been here long enough where their children or grand-children would qualify for this."
Under the bill passed Wednesday, applicants for state financial aid — the bill does not apply to federal financial aid — cannot have a felony on their record, must have been 16 years old or younger when they first arrived and must seek citizenship as soon as possible.
The financial aid ranges from a few hundred dollars a semester to several thousand dollars.
Camila Bortolleto, a Danbury resident and campaign manager for CT Students for a Dream, said the vote represents a “land mark moment” for the state.
“Our senators have rejected the partisan divisions in Washington, D.C. and embraced a bipartisan approach to supporting Connecticut immigrant youth,” Bortolleto said.
Senate Republican Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, also praised passage of the bill.
“We want to encourage all young people in our state to pursue career paths that allow them to succeed, contribute to our state’s economy and achieve the American dream,” he said.
The effective date of the law was pushed back to Jan. 2020, except for military veterans who could receive the benefit upon passage by both chambers.
State Sen. Len Suzio, R-Meriden, attempted to amend the bill so the law applied only to veterans who are illegal immigrants, but the offer was defeated by a vote of 29-6. He said the addition of the undocumented students will make it harder for legal students to receive a limited amount of state aid.
State Senate President Martin Looney, D-New Haven, praised adoption of the bill and said he hopes the House will also pass it.
"This is a proud day for the state Senate and passing this on a bipartisan basis is a signal of good will," Looney said. "I hope (Senate passage) will give the bill additional momentum in the House."
Source: Bill Cummings ~ ctpost
