Gov. Martin O’Malley has said he will sign legislation that offers undocumented students the opportunity to pay in-state tuition when the bill lands on his desk today, but its supporters can’t breathe easy just yet.
The bill, which has become known as this state’s DREAM Act — a reference to the federal Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act that died during Congress’ lame duck session last year — passed the General Assembly on the last night of the legislative session last month despite vocal opposition from both Republican lawmakers and some citizens.
The legislation would offer undocumented students in-state tuition if they receive 60 community college credits, graduate from a state high school and prove they or their parents have paid state taxes for at least three years.
Republican delegates immediately mobilized after the bill’s passage and started a petition to put the legislation to a state referendum. The petition would need roughly 18,500 signatures by the end of this month and about 56,000 by the end of June for the statute to land on the ballot in November 2012, when voters could choose whether they want the bill to become law. If the required number of signatures are obtained, the bill could not become law until it passes the referendum.
Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washington), who spearheaded the petition, said he and his fellow delegates expect O’Malley to sign the bill but added they are confident the petition will garner enough signatures to overturn it.
“It’s no surprise that Gov. O’Malley would sign the legislation — that’s why a lot of people in the state of Maryland are signing the petition and going to our website,” he said. “The majority of Marylanders do not want this legislation to pass and have their tax dollars go to illegal aliens when a lot of students are residents in Maryland and can’t get the education they need right now.”
Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-Prince George’s), who authored the bill, has criticized the expenses required to put the statute to a referendum, saying it will end up exceeding the cost of actually implementing the new policy. The statute is expected to cost $750,000 by 2014, and some have predicted it will cost up to $3.5 million by 2016.
Despite the efforts to prevent the bill from becoming law, Ramirez said he is excited O’Malley is signing it and believes people will support the bill when they fully understand it.
“I think if people take time to learn about the issue, they’ll realize it’s a very reasonable piece of legislation that’s for Marylanders; right now, everyone is trying to paint the worst-case scenario,” he said. “I don’t know how you turn 90 days of work from both houses into a political slogan, so I can’t worry about what others are doing. We have to stay positive and know we’re doing the right thing.”
Helen Melton, an advocacy specialist for CASA de Maryland — a community organization that has lobbied in favor of the bill for nearly 10 years — praised legislators for taking a “step in the right direction” toward ensuring equal educational opportunities.
“It’s incredible to see the efforts of not only the years we’ve been working on it but of the students as well,” she said. “It automatically changes the prospects of the future. It’s incredibly motivating and inspiring.”
But for other lawmakers, financial concerns outweigh the bill’s potential benefits. Del. Justin Ready (R-Carroll), who has been involved in the petition efforts, said the state does not have the money to adopt this legislation in this tough economy.
“I think it’s a big mistake because I think as a state we have enough fiscal problems and fiscal issues without adding the additional expense of having taxpayer money go to the subsidized expense of paying for people who aren’t here legally,” he said. “Nobody seems to think this is a good idea or an idea our state needs to pursue right now. It’s going to be an expensive thing, and it’s really violating federal law.”
Ready said he isn’t concerned O’Malley has decided to sign the bill; in fact, he said that decision could drive more residents to sign the petition because the issue will re-emerge in the news.
“It’ll remind people of what’s going on in Annapolis and remind them of the fact that we have an administration committed to watering down real law in regards to immigration,” he said. “It’ll remind people to sign the petition.”
But several student supporters said, for now, they will celebrate years of hard work and worry about the referendum if delegates are able to pull it off.
“Students on this campus and in the state are able to have something to look forward to and realize they have made a positive change in this state,” said senior history major Jacob Crider, who has traveled to Annapolis to lobby for the legislation and was present when the DREAM act passed. “Regardless of what happens with the referendum, that’s just more work we may have to do, but this is something we have to be able to celebrate. It’s a momentous occasion.”
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