NASHVILLE - A House panel today narrowly shot down legislation that sought to grant in-state college tuition rates to undocumented students who have graduated from Tennessee high schools.
House Education Administration and Planning Committee members voted down the bill on a 7-6 vote.
Prior to the vote, the bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, passionately argued passionately for the issue, saying there are an estimated 13,000 students in Tennessee K-12 schools who were brought illegally into the U.S. by their parents "through no fault of their own."
"They're graduating [high school] alongside our sons and daughters," White said, only to "find they can't go on. They have dreams of a better life through education."
He argued his belief that it is "a basic conservative Republican position" to provide support for those "willing to get up and go to work or better their life."
The students wouldn't be getting a free ride, White said, noting they would simply be paying college and university tuition at in-state rates instead of the out-of-state rates the students now face.
Critics note in-state students pay only half of what their education costs.
Karla Meza, 21, who said she was brought by her parents to the U.S. when she was three and grew up in Knoxville, testified in favor of the legislation.
Meza said some of her earliest memories were driving with her parents on Cumberland Avenue and watching students who attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville walking toward classes.
"I always wanted to go to UT," Meza said but noted when she turned 18 and graduated from high school, I was told I had to pay out-of-state tuition. I was really confused - I didn't feel different. I didn't understand why."
As a result, she said she faces paying triple the tuition she had expected to pay, putting UT out of reach.
Meza said she attended nearby Pellissippi State, a two-year community college, but had to depart with only a few hours left to go for her sociology degree in order to work full-time for additional funds to complete her degree work.
Rep. Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro, argued against the bill, warning, "we're going to become a magnet in the Southeast if we allow this legislation."
She partially blamed high rates of illegal immigration in Middle Tennessee for Rutherford County schools having to build a new school every year to keep up with the growing number of students.
"Right is right and wrong is wrong and I can't pass the burden along to the taxpayers of Tennessee," the Murfreesboro lawmaker said.
Bill sponsor Rep. Mark White argued Congress' refusal to address illegal immigration is ultimately to blame.
He said Tennessee currently pays to educate the undocumented students at the K-12 level and it only makes sense to let them pay in-state tuition rates to let them find occupations where they can earn good money and pay taxes that benefit all Tennesseans.
Following the meeting, a group of young women who held signs stating their hopes of becoming doctors, engineers and other professional occupations wept and hugged one another.
Rep. Mark White later said he doesn't intend to give up on the issue.