Opponents fall short of challenging California Dream Act

[alp227]

(Reuters) SAN FRANCISCO — Organizers have failed to gather enough signatures for a California voter initiative aimed at barring illegal immigrants from receiving public aid for college, a leader of the campaign said on Friday.

The petition drive led by state Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, a Republican, took aim at 2011 legislation known as the California Dream Act.

The first part of the legislation signed into law in July by Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, allowed illegal immigrants to receive privately funded college scholarships.

The second part of the legislation signed in October also extended state-funded aid to certain illegal immigrants, and that is what opponents sought to overturn.

full: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44351906/ns/us_news/

Regarding the reporting: once again oversimplifying the story. People reading this and unaware of the California residency provisions will start thinking that college classrooms will be filled with middle aged, brown-skinned, mustached men with tight T-shirts and caps (yeah I know I'm stereotyping but I'm just describing small-minded people's minds).

In order to get on the ballot, a ballot initiative needs ~500k signatures. This one got just ~448k. Because this act didn't amend the state constitution, the legislature can't introduce a mandatory referendum of this to the ballot.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. With the current financial situation in California, it may not matter

[duhneece]

2. This is good news. Racism lost.

It's always a good thing to encourage education. The US needs a Dream Act passed.

[Big_Mike]

3. I hate racism, in any form. Allow everyone who qualifies to go to college.

But why are we paying for people to attend college on public money when it is illegal for them to work here and pay back the college education through their economic input?

Before there is any money spent, let's fix the damn immigration situation first. Get them legal to be here, then of course provide grants and loans for them to attend college.

[duhneece]

4. I don't see the immigration situation changing any time soon

so I wouldn't want to deny an education to a resident, documented or not documented.