Hasta Luego, 76-731a

The following turn of events in the news brings interest to me (and sadness, I suppose). For my senior thesis I wrote about immigration policy and public opinion, comparing these nationally and locally. For my research I was able to study all of the Kansas session law relating to immigration. One law in particular caught my attention:

      76-731a.   Certain persons without lawful immigration status deemed residents for purpose of tuition and fees.  

Notes: This statute came as a result of a federal statute that requires all children to be educated, even if they are undocumented immigrants. Here it states that if an undocumented immigrant meets certain requirements such as three years in a Kansas high school and applying for citizenship after becoming eligible, they will be considered a Kansas resident for the purpose of tuition and fees for postsecondary education.
            It was not written into law until 2004. Following this, Kristen Day sued Kathleen Sebelius, the Kansas governor, in Day v. Sebelius in 2005. The constitutionality was challenged of allowing undocumenteds to pay in-state tuition. Hispanic interest groups intervened in the case and the plaintiff lost, upholding the statute.

In fact, this law made me feel pretty proud of Kansas.

Recently, a bill went to the Kansas legislature to repeal this law.

Foes aim to repeal in-state tuition for illegal immigrants’ kids - KansasCity.com
You can read the full article above, but I found the following section noteworthy:
"Andrea Pardo-Spalding moved with her parents from Mexico to Kansas City, Kan., when she was 15. She paid in-state tuition at Kansas State University thanks to the law. She came to Tuesday’s hearing to thank lawmakers for passing the law and to urge them to keep it on the books.
“I have big plans for the future,” she said. “That’s what this country and this state have taught me. I want them (lawmakers) to know we’re not criminals. We’re the people who make America.”
Now 24, Pardo-Spalding is a legal resident who hopes to become a citizen in a year. Asked what she’d be doing if she hadn’t gone to K-State, she smiled. “I’d be waiting tables,” she said."


Unfortunately,

Final approval for bill repealing tuition for illegal immigrants - KansasCity.com

Sorry, Andrea.

I know there are many differing opinions on this topic, so if you're out there opining, bring it on.