A Georgia legislative committee on Monday voted to approve a bill that would bar illegal immigrants from state colleges, universities and technical schools.
The House Judiciary Non-Civil committee passed an amended version of the bill that passed the Senate chamber earlier this month. It now goes to the House Rules Committee, which will decide whether to bring it up for debate before the full House.
The bill’s main sponsor, Sen. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, said the bill is meant in part to clarify the intent of a 2006 law that he says should have been interpreted as prohibiting state colleges and universities from accepting illegal immigrants. It also makes some changes to identification requirements for applicants for public benefits laid out by a law enacted last year to crack down on illegal immigration in the state.
The committee heard from both supporters and opponents of the bill during nearly two hours of discussion. Almost all of the discussion centered on the education provisions of the proposal. Supporters of the bill say it’s necessary to preserve state-funded education for citizens and legal residents. Opponents say the bill unfairly denies motivated illegal immigrant students the opportunity to further their education.
Illegal immigrants already are effectively barred from the most competitive state schools because of a Board of Regents policy created in 2010 that prohibits any institution that has rejected academically qualified applicants in the previous two years from accepting illegal immigrants. That includes the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Georgia Health Sciences University and Georgia College & State University. Illegal immigrants may still be admitted to any other state college or university but must pay out-of-state tuition.
University system Chancellor Hank Huckaby told committee members he believes that policy is adequate and asked that it be allowed to work. He offered nearly identical testimony before a Senate committee last month and before another House committee that was considering a similar bill.
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