Gil Cedillo introduces the California DREAM Act!

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One of many things we Californians can and will do over the next two dark years while we wait for the rest of the benighted nation to get its shit together:  make some progress toward Immigration Reform!  Assemblyman Gil Cedillo – [last seen in Orange County helping Phu Nguyen register new Latino voters in Costa Mesa and now ironically seated behind Allan Mansoor] – has introduced the “California Dream Act”  – apparently the same measure Governor Brown was voicing support for on the campaign trail.

Wait – the big Federal DREAM Act was about granting a pathway to citizenship to good responsible students who are here and undocumented through no fault of their own – California can’t grant citizenship, can it?  No, this DREAM Act seems to be about financial aid to undocumented kids.  Oh, THAT’ll go over real well with a lot of OJ readers!  I’d think the students would prefer citizenship, but anyway here’s Gil’s press release:

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CEDILLO INTRODUCES CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT
WITH COALITION OF BUSINESS, EDUCATION AND LABOR LEADERS

The proposed law would grant qualifying undocumented college students access to financial aid from the University of California, California State University and Community Colleges.

LOS ANGELES – On Tuesday, January 11, Assemblymember Gilbert Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), will be introducing the California DREAM Act in the California State Assembly. The proposed law would grant qualifying undocumented college students access to institutional financial aid and Cal Grants from the University of California, California State University and Community Colleges.

The California DREAM Act, first introduced by Cedillo in 2006, will be introduced in two bills.  The first bill would allow students that meet the in-state tuition requirements to apply for and receive specified financial aid administered by California’s public colleges and universities.  The types of aid these students would be eligible for include: Board of Governors (BOG) Fee Waiver and Institutional Student Aid:  Student aid program administered by the attending college or university (i.e. State University Grant, UC Grant).  The second bill would allow students that meet the in-state tuition requirements to apply for and receive Cal Grants by California’s public colleges and universities.

If approved, California would be the third state to offer financial aid to undocumented students after Texas and New Mexico. [ha – the Texas you righties love to drool over – Z.]

WHAT: Assembymember Gilbert Cedillo announces the introduction of the California

Dream Act with a coalition of business, education and labor leaders including Kelly Candaele, Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees, Javier Nuñez, President, Executive Board, Laborers International Union, Local 300, Kent Wong, Director, UCLA Labor Center, National Council of La Raza, Nancy Ramirez, Western Regional Counsel, MALDEF, Angelica Salas, Executive Director, CHIRLA, LA Dream Team and NAKASEC (National Korean American Service & Education Consortium), Korean Resource Center, Marvin Andrade, Executive Director, CARECEN, Evan Bacalao, Sr. Director of Civic Engagement, NALEO and David Huerta, Regional Vice President, SEIU United Service Workers West.

WHEN: Tuesday, January 11, 2011
10:00AM Press Conference
WHERE: Los Angeles City College
On the steps in front of the Camino Theater in the Quad
855 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles 90029
Free Parking in parking structure on N. Heliotrope Dr. just north of Melrose Avenue.


About Zorro

Yes, Zorro is gay. Zorro is gay in San Francisco, black in South Africa, an Asian in Europe, a Chicano in San Ysidro, an anarchist in Spain, a Palestinian in Israel, a Mayan Indian in the streets of San Cristobal, a Jew in Germany, a Gypsy in Poland, a Mohawk in Quebec, a pacifist in Bosnia, a single woman on the Metro at 10pm, a peasant without land, a gang member in Santa Ana, an unemployed worker, an unhappy student and, of course, a good government advocate in Anaheim. Zorro is all the exploited, marginalized, oppressed minorities resisting and saying `Enough'. He or she is every minority who is now beginning to speak and every majority that must shut up and listen. He or she is every untolerated group searching for a way to speak. Everything that makes power and the good consciences of those in power uncomfortable -- this is Zorro.