Gubernatorial front-runner Diane Black unequivocally rejected the current efforts underway in the legislature to grant in-state tuition benefits to illegal immigrant students.
“I have said many times that if the state legislature were to pass a bill providing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, I would veto it. In-state tuition is a benefit provided to legal residents of our state, and it should stay that way,” Black said in a statement, adding:
Too many times, so-called conservatives get elected promising to fight against liberal policies, only to embrace them once in office. It’s a shame to see our state legislature do just that, particularly without real debate or even a recorded vote in committee. It’s time for the true conservatives in the legislature to stand up and say no.
As The Tennessee Star previously reported, State Representative Mark White (R-Memphis) rammed his newest in-state tuition benefits proposal through the Education Subcommittee Tuesday with a voice vote and no discussion:
The Education Subcommittee of the Tennessee House of Representatives passed State Rep. Mark White’s (R-Memphis) bill granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students in Tennessee on a voice vote Tuesday afternoon.
Mark White – Education SubcommitteeWith the exception of State Rep. Dawn White’s (R-Murfreesboro) strongly worded statement opposing White’s bill, no discussion was had by the subcommittee before they passed the bill on a voice vote.
Bill sponsor State Rep. Mark White (no relation to State Rep. Dawn White), who chairs the Education Subcommittee, opted to move his bill up from number thirty-five on the agenda to the first one voted on by the subcommittee.
White’s bill, HB2429, is his fourth attempt to give illegal immigrant students access to taxpayer subsidized in-state tuition. To do this, White’s bill dismantles state law by removing reduced college tuition from Tennessee’s definition of “state or local public benefit.”
The Star reached out to all the top-tier candidates running for Governor for comment on State Rep. White’s bill.
Williamson County businessman Bill Lee issued a statement to The Star on Wednesday in which he said he would veto State Rep. White’s in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students bill.
Neither the Harwell campaign nor the Boyd campaign responded.
I’m with Diane on this one also, if you are “illegal”, you are not legal. What’s so hard to understand about this? This is a land of laws & they are breaking them, you need to come here the right & legal way.
What say, We take care of every Tennessean. Jobs, Food, Quality Education, We could forget that some may own a gun, Interdict those drug shipments. Regulate Electricity rates so that everyone can afford to use it. Teach the building trades in school again, Prosecute the people inflating gas prices, Start teaching in schools again and stop testing students. Force the Federal Government to return Tennessee lands to Tennessean’s . I believe that if we limit Politicians to no more than six years in office we can make better people out of them. What say you.?
Please Edgar, don’t take away my right to vote! OH YES YOU ARE, the minute as a matter of law you deprive me of the right to vote for an incumbent officeholder because he/she has served a certain number of years whether I want to reelect him/her or not that is what you are doing. Why? So “. . .we can make better people out of them.”? REALLY! Exactly when does this occur? When the clock strikes twelve at the end of the sixth year in which case isn’t that all the more reason we should re-elect them? What evidence do you have that it occurs at all? Or do you somehow think that after six years the new officeholders will inevitably be better than the old? Do you have any evidence for this belief? They have term limits for the Davidson County Metro Council. Is there anything at all about the workings of that benighted body that would have anyone believe that due to term limits they act with periclean wisdom?
Edgar, PLEASE, I cherish my right to vote, surely you can find something more sensible to believe in than term limits!
No one is trying to stop you from voting. You know that very well. The Constitution never intended for political office to be an avocation. Your facetiousness is nauseating.
Yup, she is consistent alright, consistently miss representing the truth!
Remember the last campaign, when she claimed to have been beaten to within a inch of her life, by a gang of punks. But the facts, indicated it was a purse snatching incident.
And how about her claim of being a “career Nurse”, and of having kept her nursing license active. Well, in Tennessee, the requirements for maintaining a nursing license while not actively “practicing”, requires a minimum of 10 CEU every two years. Does anybody really believe that the wealthiest woman in the House takes the time to do this work?
Yeah, she is against illegal immigration accept when she’s for giving them “gateway” driver licenses.
Diane gets it. She has been consistent on immigration issues.
Nice try DC DIANE
https://volunteerstate.report/governor-candidates-diane-black-beth-harwell-voted-to-give-illegals-drivers-licenses/
In-State tuition for illegals is stupid! Send the illegals back home.
Just one more reason she won my vote–I WANT a tough on illegal immigration Gov. I would like to see the next Gov order an immediate, deep dive audit of ALL State and Federal welfare programs of any kind. ANY illegals caught taking money will be cut off and reported to ICE.