Great work by Del. Lopez; it's long past time for Virginia to pass this!
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(Arlington, VA ) Delegate Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington) has launched an online petition at www.alfonsolopez.org/dreamactnow for supporters of the Virginia DREAM Act.
“This is the right thing to do, not just from a moral perspective, but also from an economic development perspective” said Lopez. “We invest in these students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, but put up a barrier after graduation that only serves to drive away top talent from Virginia.” |
Last year, Delegate Lopez’s Tuition Equity legislation gained traction with the creation of the DACA program, which allows undocumented students to obtain a lawful status in the United States. The legislation received support from a diverse coalition of business leaders, state colleges and universities, religious organizations, education advocates, and immigrant rights groups.
The bill was combined with legislation from Delegate Tom Rust (R-Herndon) and passed unanimously by the House’s Higher Education Subcommittee and 17-4 by the full House Education Committee. The bill was then sent to the House Appropriations Committee, which refused to review the legislation before a procedural deadline, effectively killing it for the year.
“I think we turned some heads last year with the success we had in the House of Delegates” said Lopez. “As I talk to more and more of my colleagues in the General Assembly about this issue, I think we have momentum heading into the 2014 Session.”
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