DREAM Act Fails In Virginia State Senate committee (8 R's NO, 7 D's YES)
The Virginia Senate Education Committee defeated a DREAM Act bill put before it today. The bill, which was just yesterday reported out of a legislative committee in the commonwealth for the first time in five years, would have allowed some undocumented students in Virginia to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
The measure failed by a vote of 8-7, which fell along party lines, with the committee's eight Republicans voting against it. The Senate Education Committee's vote essentially kills the bill for this year because the committee would have to send it to the full Senate for a vote.
Sen. Donald McEachin, who sponsored the Senate version of the DREAM bill, was disappointed after the early morning vote.
"I think it sends a very unfortunate message that Virginia's not yet ready for prime time when it comes to fair treatment of its children," said Sen. Donald McEachin (D) after the vote. "I'm disappointed that it broke down along party lines and I'm sad that the GOP hasn't yet opened up its heart to all of our children."
http://wamu.org/news/morning_edition/13/01/31/dream_act_fails_in_virginia_state_senate
Hardly a surprise that republicans would kill a DREAM Act bill. It was a little unusual that it actually got out of a legislative committee to get this far.
Oh well, bad for folks in Virgina but the rest of the country (at least that part that live in Democratic-run states) marches forward.