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TEXAS The Texas Legislature kicked off the new year with an attempt to roll back the state’s ill-advised law granting in-state tuition benefits to illegal aliens. While Texas has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that immigration laws are enforced, and has sued to stop unconstitutional policies by the Obama and Biden administrations, the state was the first to grant in-state tuition benefits to illegal aliens in 2001. Bills in both houses of the legislature have been introduced to repeal the 2001 law. The timeline for repealing this expensive benefit for illegal aliens, however, is short as the...

"......Attorney Michelle Lapointe with the Southern Poverty Law Center said Tuesday the regulations often make it impossible for talented, high-achieving citizens to afford college, as the out-of-state rate can be triple the cost of in-state tuition. Non-residents also cannot receive lottery-backed state scholarships, need-based grants or tuition assistance."

As recently as 2014, illegal immigrants in 22 states are eligible for lower-cost, in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. […] Campus Reform asked out-of-state students attending UVA and UMD–both of which offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrants—whether they would consider renouncing their U.S. citizenship to become “undocumented students” eligible for in-state tuition. …

Senate approves in-state tuition for undocumented students: The Florida Senate voted Thursday to let undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. The 26-13 vote came as no surprise. The sponsor, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, was confident he had the votes for week. But that didn’t stop him from getting emotional in debate on Thursday. “The eyes of America are on us,” Latvala said moments before the vote. “I think we’re setting an example. I think we’re doing the right thing.” Read more Medical Marijuana Photo Source Hightimes.com House passes non-euphoric medical marijuana bill: The Florida...

Florida students who are living in the country illegally would qualify for in-state college tuition rates under a bill passed by the Florida Senate. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/01/4092361/fla-senate-approves-in-state-tuition.html#storylink=cpy

Vitter Introduces Bill to Put American Citizens Ahead of Illegal Immigrants for In-State College Tuition (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) today introduced legislation to close the current loophole that allows illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition. Many states have used a loophole granting illegal immigrants in-state tuition if they graduated from an in-state high school. “Some of our nation’s highest unemployment rates are among recent college graduates, and we should be supporting policies that help American students get an opportunity to go to college and compete for good jobs,” said Vitter. “American students should always come first....

Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire and Virginia have bills under consideration that would extend the in-state benefit, said Tanya Broder, a senior attorney with the National Immigration Law Center.

Immigrant-rights activists say New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie reversed himself Saturday and endorsed giving illegal immigrants in-state college tuition rates, and said he will try to get the issue through his legislature in a lame-duck session. Mr. Christie, who is up for re-election in November, is also seen as eyeing a bid for the GOP’s 2016 presidential nomination, but his support for in-state tuition could complicate that. “We need tuition equality for everyone in New Jersey,” the activists said the governor said in a speech to the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey. Afterward, the activists said, Mr. Christie told...

<p>The Oregon House has voted to extend resident college tuition rates to some young illegal immigrants.</p> <p>The House's 38-18 vote on Friday sends the measure to the Senate. In the last decade, similar legislation has failed twice.</p> <p>The measure would allow students to qualify for in-state tuition at the Oregon's seven public universities if they've attended an Oregon high school for at least three years and lived in the United States for at least five.</p>

Texas Gov. Rick Perry will appear with Newt Gingrich for the first time at the CNN debate in Mesa, Ariz., on Feb. 22, a spokesperson for Perry confirmed to ABC News. Perry will appear in the spin room with Gingrich after the debate. There are no other events planned, at this time. Perry endorsed Gingrich when he dropped out of the race on Jan. 19 but has yet to appear publicly with him.

In a campaign speech late Tuesday night, Governor Rick Perry stated that he is "returning to Texas" to reassess whether he is going to continue running for President. The speech contained several emotional moments, in particular two moments. The first was when he read a letter from an adoring supporter who called him a "great man." The letter described a conversation that Mr. Perry had had with a soldier and how his supporter looked on in awe as he watched Governor Perry call the veteran his "Christian brother." The second was when Perry announced that he would be returning to...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said today that using foreign aid to combat human rights abuses against homosexuals in foreign countries is “not in America’s interests” and attacked President Obama’s decision to require U.S. agencies operating abroad to promote equal rights for gays as part of the administration’s “war on traditional American values.” “Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t get any more out of touch with America’s values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights. This administration’s war on traditional American values must stop,” Perry said in the statement. “Promoting special rights for...

Do not believe the haters and the left-leaning media. Rick Perry has the strength, conviction, and solid record to turn America around. It is time. Time for a REAL change.

1. Cain Ignorant on Arab "Right to Return" Propaganda That's Really Meant to Destroy Israel Herman Cain was on Fox News Sunday in May. When Chris Wallace asked about the Arab propaganda movement to give Palestinians the "Right to Return," Herman Cain indicated that he was ignorant of the propaganda intricacies of that policy. The entire duration of the Barack Obama administration has been openly hostile towards Israel. There is some indication that the 2012 election will not repair this travesty if Herman Cain is the Republican nominee. He's not smart enough on the issue to turn things around....

[embedded LINKS at source] Have you heard? “The government is subsidizing illegal immigration! The Texas DREAM Act grants amnesty! Illegal immigrants are going to college for FREE!” Hold your horses, folks. These statements, which are hurled at Gov. Rick Perry from both sides of the political spectrum, are simply not true. In-state tuition for illegal immigrants is a hard policy to argue because it rests on such a thin line between supporting education and rewarding law-breaking. Admittedly, the governor didn’t argue the case well when he said opponents of this policy “don’t have a heart.” (He’s since recanted that statement.)...

The Iowa caucuses are now just 72 days away. Once Iowans vote on Jan. 3, the 2012 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination ceases to be about debates and gaffes and spin, and begins to be about actual results. This week’s uproar over Herman Cain’s CNN interview with Piers Morgan will likely be a distant and irrelevant memory by Jan. 3. Despite Cain’s rhetorical difficulty in consistently articulating a pro-life position, his bona fides on the issue have long been established, as demonstrated in 2006 when he led a $1 million effort to encourage black voters to vote pro-life. What...

When Texas Governor Rick Perry first uttered his now famous remark about those who are against in state tuition for illegal aliens being “heartless” he was surging in the polls. He looked like the conservative White Knight that would slay Willard the Evil RINO. No one had any real idea of how much harm he had done to himself or how quickly his stance on the issues would cause him to fade to black. Perry has literally fallen from front runner to single digit “also ran” in a matter of weeks. Over the years we have seen candidates who few...

Fundraising figures released over the weekend demonstrate that only two Republican candidates -- Mitt Romney and Rick Perry -- enter the dash to the nomination with both the financial support and the campaign infrastructure that equip them fully to compete. And the Obama campaign -- eager to ensure that no candidates get free rides in the primaries -- has already begun making assumptions about whom President Obama is likely to face in the general election. That means Romney is coming under pressure from both sides, even as he seeks to consolidate Republican support early in the process. Before we get...

The Republican presidential candidates will gather for their second televised debate in New Hampshire on Tuesday night, when Bloomberg and the Washington Post host a forum centered entirely on the economy. The back and forth on policy at the debate could be overshadowed by a bigger storyline: Can Rick Perry use the event to turn his turn his campaign around? Perry, the governor of Texas, has lost his position as the front-runner in 2012 polls in recent weeks, amid criticism over his uneven debate performances. His position on Social Security, which he's described as a "Ponzi scheme" and a "monstrous...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — When Rhode Island became the 13th state to allow in-state tuition for illegal immigrants at public colleges, supporters heralded the move as one that would give students the kind of advanced education they need to succeed in the workforce. But students who are not here legally may still face a major obstacle even with the benefit of a college degree: Many have no immediate pathway to legal status and, under current federal immigration law, employers cannot legally hire them. "I know of students who have graduated magna cum laude and top honors in their colleges, but right...