The General Assembly's Black and Latino Caucus staged a news conference last week to promote its lengthy legislative wish list and had the top Democratic state House leaders on hand to lend their support.
But the event turned awkward for both the minority lawmakers and the two leaders, House Speaker James A. Amann, D-Milford, and House Majority Leader Chris Donovan, D-Meriden.
There was, for example, the uncertain fate of a bill sponsored by state Rep. Felipe Reinoso, D-Bridgeport.
The controversial measure would allow children of illegal immigrants to qualify for lower, in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities if they graduate from a Connecticut high school.
Last month, the bill died in the legislature's Higher Education Committee. Republicans were threatening to talk the bill to death as the panel approached its deadline for action. They argued the plan would create additional competition at state colleges for the children of legal residents and push up state costs.
Worried that a lengthy debate would block action on other bills, the committee chairmen waited until the last minute to bring the bill up and it never made it to a vote.
"This bill didn't die," said Reinoso last week. "We will continue to fight for it."
Reinoso made an impassioned argument that children shouldn't be penalized for the illegal status of their parents. Reinoso said many of these kids have the drive and brains to graduate high school and get into a university. "But the American dream ends there because they can't afford to go to college," he said.
Amann and Donovan voiced their personal support for the bill. Given their high-ranking leadership positions, you would assume that meant Reinoso would certainly be able to attach his proposal to some other piece of legislation and at least bring it up for a vote in the House.
But neither leader was ready to promise anything.
"There is a (committee) process," intoned Amann. "The bottom line is the bill died."
Amann decided to skip over the fact that it was a minority of Republicans who are being blamed for preventing a committee vote - something that also spared a number of Democratic lawmakers the angst of having to make a decision on such a potentially controversial issue.
The article doesn't make it clear whether the children of illegal immigrants are US citizens or not. If they are US citizens, they would be entitled to the same rights as other US citizens whose parents are legal. I don't think it's appropriate to punish children for the crimes of their parents.
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