Donnelly Slams California Dream Act Passage

As the State Senate passed the second part of the Dream Act Wednesday, undocumented students who qualify for reduced in-state tuition will be allowed to apply for various college financial aid if the Governor signs the legislation into law.

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, Sierra Madre’s representative in the 59th District, has said he would organize a public referendum if the Dream Act was passed into law.

“Students are already struggling to pay increased tuition and many cannot even get into the classes they need,” Donnelly told the Victorville Daily Press, “but the Legislature continues to pretend we can afford this entitlement. The simple truth is, everyone including the governor knows we can’t.”

Under AB 131, undocumented students will be able to apply for state-funded scholarships and financial aid. To be eligible, students must have attended high schools in California for at least three years and fall under specific financial and academic requirements.

The Dream Act seems to have a clear pathway to becoming state law. The bill is headed to the Democratic-controlled State Assembly next week and Gov. Jerry Brown has said during his campaign that he would sign such a law. Brown has already signed legislation that gave illegal immigrants access to privately-funded state scholarships and other aid, according to the New York Times.

State Senate figures analyze the bill's cost to be up to $42 million, money Republicans say California's debt-ridden economy can't afford.

According to current state legislation, undocumented students who have attended at least three years in a California high school are able to pay in-state resident tuition fees, which at nearby e is now $36 a unit. Tuition for out-of-state residents is $220 a unit.

In April, there were 240 undocumented students receiving in-state tuition breaks, according to the college's enrollment office.