By Tom Chapman
Friday (March 8) is the “funnel” deadline when bills have to be voted out of their original committee or be set aside for the year. Two bills relating to immigrants in Iowa still have an opportunity to make it past the funnel deadline.
House File 309 would provide in-state tuition rates at state universities for graduates of Iowa high schools. This policy would include immigrant students without legal status. It does not offer free college tuition to anyone. The Iowa Catholic Conference (ICC) has supported similar bills over the years. The premise of the Iowa version of the Dream Act is that immigrant youth should not be hindered from working towards a more promising future solely because they were brought to the United States by their parents at a young age without legal status. The bill seems to be a compassionate solution for young persons who simply want to reach their potential and contribute to the well-being of our state.
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