DREAM Act supporters ask Cuomo to include it in final budget
By MATTHEW DONDIEGO
Angry over the bill's failure on the Senate floor earlier this week, supporters of the DREAM Act are now calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to include the bill which would allow undocumented immigrants to become eligible for state financial aid in the final budget.
Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Sen. Jose Peralta, lead sponsor of the DREAM Act, sent a letter to the governor Thursday insisting he fight to include the legislation in the budget.
"While the DREAM Act did not receive the necessary votes to pass the state Senate, we are confident that once included in the state budgets many of the senators who voted against this stand alone bill will vote in favor of a compressive budget that includes the DREAM Act," the senators wrote in their letter.
Speaking with reporters early Thursday, Cuomo said he and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver supported the DREAM Act, but "the Senate's position is that they took a vote on the DREAM Act and the DREAM Act went down."
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-03-20-87271.113122-DREAM-Act-supporters-ask-Cuomo-to-include-it-in-final-budget.html