NASHVILLE – Dozens of undocumented immigrant students from Chattanooga and other parts of Tennessee rallied Tuesday at the state Legislature and spoke with House members in hopes of reviving stalled legislation that would let them pay in-state tuition rates to attend public colleges and universities.
The bill failed last year in the House by a single vote after passing the Senate overwhelmingly.
Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, has put the bill on notice to be heard today in the House Calendar and Rules Committee, where it was sent last year after failing on the House floor. It was unclear Tuesday evening whether White intends to proceed with a vote today.
Among students advocating at Legislative Plaza on Tuesday were sisters Abril and Samira Gutierrez, whose parents brought them to the U.S. from Mexico. The sisters grew up in East Ridge.
Rep. JoAnne Favors talks about her plans for the session during the Times Free Press sponsored Legislative Roundtable Tuesday at the newspaper.Abril Gutierrez, 25, said she attends Chattanooga State Community College, where she initially wanted to earn a degree in criminal justice but switched over to a one-year machine tool program because of the expense.