A bill is making its way through the Colorado legislature that would allow children of undocumented workers to pay in-state college tuition instead of out-of-state college tuition. A number of conditions would have to be met – conditions that naturalized citizens don’t have to worry about to get in-state tuition, I might add. It could be stalled in the Senate Appropriations Committee because of one Democrat – Moe Keller. If she votes against the bill, it dies in committee. If that happens, a door of opportunity would be closed to a small group of people who have committed no crime of their own.
So I spent a few minutes looking at who Moe Keller is. She is a Senator from District 20, according to her website. She has town hall meetings in Golden and Wheat Ridge. She sponsors bills regarding the developmentally disabled.
This brings up a set of questions for Sen. Keller. Why is it okay to restrict opportunity for the children of undocumented workers but not okay to restrict opportuinty for the developmentally disabled? Neither chose their status. At what point do the right-wing blowhards control acceptable legislation? If Limbaugh, Rosen and others railed against the developmentally disabled, would Sen. Keller abandon her efforts? If not, what does that say about her attitude toward children who have done nothing wrong and lots of things right?
Now, I don’t know Sen. Keller or her reasons for potentially voting against this legislation. This bill seems pretty straightforward and the morally correct thing to do. I want to hear that it has passed – that we’re a state of compassionate people who fight for opportunity, not against it. I hope Sen. Keller feels the same way and votes accordingly.
h/t to Mike Littwin.
