THESE DIRTY 30 STATE SENATORS VOTED TO OFFER NE RESIDENT TUITION RATES TO ILLEGAL ALIENS.............

The following Nebraska state senators voted to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at NE colleges and universities, over the veto of the Governor:

Vote NO on all the above state senators up for re-election in 2006 and 2008.  See our NTF issue paper below opposing resident college tuition rates for illegal aliens.  

NTF Issue Paper: Illegal14.doc. 3-05.
NEBRASKA TAXPAYERS FOR FREEDOM ISSUE PAPER:
NO RESIDENT COLLEGE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS. 

BACKGROUND.  Liberal Nebraska state senators and Hispanic pressure groups are attempting to funnel illegal aliens into our state university and college systems under resident tuition rates.  California succumbed to this measure, overriding the veto of then-Gov. Gray Davis, who proved that it would impose a $63.7 million financial burden on the state higher education system.1  Obviously, illegals residing in our nation are not legal residents of a state in which they  apply for admission to a state university.   

LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY.  Previous bills deservedly have died in committee.  State Sen. DiAnna Schimek in the 2005 session sponsored LB 239, which proposed resident tuition at public colleges and universities for illegal aliens under the guise of having an educated work force among our growing Hispanic illegal population.  Her bill would include about 900. The local INS director scolded her for signaling that the U.S. was not serious about enforcing federal immigration law.  Bill provisions state that illegals who reside with parents or guardian while attending high school in NE would become eligible for resident tuition, if they graduated from high school or received a GED and lived in NE for at least 3 yrs. before the date of graduation. They must have applied for legal status or have a petition pending. Despite horrendous university budget overruns, 6 university regents supported this bill with a resolution.  They cited additional “diversity” and tuition dollars.  Regents Drew Miller and Jim McClurg did not vote for the resolution, citing concerns about treating illegals as residents.  Miller added that lower tuition rates would offer incentives for illegals to enter NE. 

CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENT.  Proponents defy a clear congressional mandate against adopting such legislation.  Section 505 of the 1996 Illegal Immigrant Act specifically states that “…an alien who is not lawfully present in the U.S. shall not be eligible on the basis of residence with a state for any postsecondary benefit…”  Copying California would open NE to lawsuits challenging the conferral of resident tuition on illegals.  Illegal aliens are nationals of foreign countries; their education is the responsibility of those nations.   

FINANCIAL ARGUMENT.  Though NE students pay tuition for post-secondary public education, state taxpayers heavily subsidize it.  Overburdened NE taxpayers would not approve spending tax $$ on educating illegals. Illegal aliens cannot legally work in the U.S., so tax dollars expended on their higher education to prepare them for professional jobs becomes wasted.    

ECONOMIC ARGUMENT.  Graduating illegal aliens will compete with lawful citizens for a finite number of NE jobs. Several sectors of the NE economy and geographic areas still are suffering from recession effects. 

IMMIGRATION ARGUMENT.  Proponents offer legal resident status to illegal collegians, amnesty.  Granting resident tuition only will encourage other young illegals and entire illegal families to sneak into our state to avail themselves of this generous educational benefit and amnesty. 

SECURITY ARGUMENT.  The INS in 2002 admitted to losing track of 566 foreign students in NE and IA., some of whom merely disappeared into illegal alien status.  Immigration officials are scrambling to scour driver license records and criminal databases to locate them.  Some “students” arrive in our state with student visas but never enroll or drop out.  The status of these “students” is of major concern, following the 9-11 terrorist attacks, one hijacker having entered the U.S. on a student visa but never enrolling.   

ACADEMIC ARGUMENT.  Nebraska universities increasingly are limiting enrollments.  Increasing the pressure by accepting illegals will deny opportunities to legal aliens and NE citizens.  The low economic status of most illegal alien families would qualify their kids for means-tested financial assistance.  Our higher education systems have only so much aid to grant, and that given illegals will deprive American citizens.  This legislation would raise illegal immigrants to a higher status than legal foreign exchange students.  Students from neighboring states attending NE universities would bristle at paying higher tuition than non-citizens.   

TAKE ACTION.  Write, fax, or email your state senator now to vote NO on LB 239, that offers preferential higher education benefits to illegal aliens. Use points from this issue paper.  Email us for contact information for your senator.  Thank the 2 university regents for standing up for taxpayers: Regent Drew Miller at drmiller@nebraska.edu and Jim McClurg at jmcclurg@nebraska.edu.  Chastise the following 6 regents who would waste taxpayer $$:  Charles Wilson of Lincoln, phone: 488-9320; Howard Hawks of Omaha, phone: 938-1604; Chuck Hassebrook at chassebrook@nebraska.edu; Kent Schroeder of Kearney, phone: 237-9688; David Hergert of Scottsbluff at dhergert@nebraska.edu; and Randy Ferlic of Omaha, phone: 397-2837. 

Research and documentation for this issue paper done by Doug Kagan.  This material copyrighted by Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, with express prior permission granted for its use by Taxwatchers, Inc., Citizens for Local Control, Cherry County Taxpayers, Dawes County Taxpayers, and other groups in the Tax Freedom Network.   3-05.  C