What don't these supporters understand about the prefix "Illegal" ? If they want in-State tuition, become citizens like the rest of our families did. What is insidious about this, is that the politicians who support this are simply trying to "buy" votes from immigrant's friends and family who ARE citizens. Illegal means Illegal, period. It is a shame that the two Mike's and Marty don't get this.

I bet make it would make your head spin if you really knew how many illegal New Americans voted for Sentor Omalley along with his paid Black Sheep bused in.
Maryland has never been in such sad shape. Tuition for illegas when I can't get aid for my own chidren. I will never vote for another Democrat Governor in Maryland even if I have to sit out my primary. Our Democratic politicians are a disgrace to the people of Maryland ! They are coming in droves from the Carolinas because they know there is free money available in Md.

When the elected officials stop listening to the people who elected them, you then take the power back and do the right thing. What part of ILLEGAL do they not understand.

Signatures representing nearly 6% of the voters in the last gubernatorial election. Remarkable and what a message to the state legislature that they are out of touch with most citizens. November 2012 is an off-year electing so this bill should be voted down handily.

MIke Miller's ham-handed tactics forcing this through will backfire nationally. When totally democratically controlled state like Maryland rebuffs this members of Congress will think twice about enacting any national laws.

I know that The Lady In The Harbor says, "Give me your tired, your poor..." but she doesn't say anything about violent CRIMINAL alien scum who run illegal drugs and murder people. They are our nightmare.

If you are an elected public official, and you know that someone is committing a crime at any level, aren't you supposed to get law enforcement involved?

This law is absolute insanity. In reality, this law states, in layman terms, " It's ILLEGAL to be here without proper papers, but if you're here and able to avert the law, you can go to college as though you were a citizen" Do our elected officials not see the irony here?

This law is absolute insanity. In reality, this law states, in layman terms, " It's ILLEGAL to be here without proper papers, but if you're here and able to avert the law, you can go to college as though you were a citizen" Do our elected officials not see the irony here?

This law is absolute insanity. In reality, this law states, in layman terms, " It's ILLEGAL to be here without proper papers, but if you're here and able to avert the law, you can go to college as though you were a citizen" Do our elected officials not see the irony here?

I still don't understand why illegal aliens feel that they are entitled to the same privileges as legal citizens.

@Skippy, well it's an off-year for Maryland elections, but it IS a Presidential election year. I'd be curious to see how the ballot initiative affects the presidential race in MD

This signature drive was supported by both Democrats (of which I am one) and Republicans because most voters can make the logical and appropriate distinction between LEGAL IMMIGRANTS (think: good for our country) and ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION (think: BAD AND DESTRUCTIVE for our country).

Incentivizing more immigration lawbreaking is BAD FOR AMERICA, AND MOST AMERICANS including the voters in Maryland are aware of this manifest reality!

Let the people vote on it, what's the big deal?

I think it is a wonderful thing that this bill passed. Xenophobia is a huge problem within not only Maryland, but other states, and countries, and this is just another form of discrimination. The students (that is to say the 18 year old kids) who are graduating high school want to go to school just like any other kid. They left, or their parents left, their home countries out of necessity, not for the amazing adventure of moving to a new country where there is a new culture, language, no family, and hostile people around every corner. Illegal they may be, but not by choice. If anyone wants to discuss the legality of immigration then they should consider the legality of the colonizers who killed and plundered the indigenous populations, which in a sense makes every single “legal” American citizen technically illegal. The bill requires the students’ parents to have paid taxes and the student has to become a citizen. Since, they pay the same taxes they should reap the same rewards. Maybe instead of discussing the immigrants who are attempting to better themselves by obtaining an education, we should be focusing our collective energy on ensuring that all of the state’s students graduate high school instead of throwing away the opportunities provided to them.

Try going to El Salvador or Mexico illegally, then try to get a job, start a family and life a normal life. HA!. After you are severely beate, raped and thrown in prison for 3 years, you would be deported.
Let them earn the right to US education by legally entering the country.

Rick,

Good point. I had a brain cramp, or I'm just blocking out the list of potential presidential candidates......

Posted by: Bill Johnson, "What is insidious about this.."

Only to add to that,
seeing the widespread opposition to this illegal TAKING of our income, with which we are trying to get due process, as we are afforded under the law, and the opposition we are receiving by those we have elected to uphold the laws of the state, as they have sworn to do, THAT is insidious as well.

Bookmark this or as they used to say, "take this to the bank".

We ain't seen nothing from Casa de Martyland or the American Criminal Liberties Union yet.

They have plenty of time, not to mention YOUR TAX MONEY to take this further than they believe we can with limited funds.

If they doubt our resolve, see the signatures submitted this evening.

See you at the polling place.....

With respect to the passion that opponents of this legislation have, I would like to offer my perspective.

The people who come to this country illegally are demoized, and I am not sure that is fair. Put yourself in the shoes of a man with a wife and child who lives in an impoverished, undeveloped part of the world, with little or no hope of ever thriving. What would you do to get your family out of that situation? I'd do pretty much whatever I could to save my family from a life of misery.

Secondly, I think it is rather short-sighted to be opposed to something that is, in theory, going to make access to higher education a reality for those who otherwise would not be able to afford it. The better educated people are, the more benefits to society as a whole.

I support the DREAM act for these reasons.

Thank you for reading my post.

O'Malley, Busch and Miller are a complete disgrace to the citizens of this state and need to be removed from office. They are disgusting!!!

Look here illegals: we do not want your here. We do not condone your activities. We want you gone. And we sure are not going to subsidize your education.

Way to go Maryland! Put these illegal aliens in their place. Speaking of being in their place, how about they go back to their own country and go to school there? Then they could really be in their own place.

We don't need or want illegal aliens.

my grand daughter was placed on a waiting list to enter the U of M because of the large number of illegals accepted this year

- the school rec she attend a community college until there was room for her-- how can anyone justify giving anyone who is not legal, priority over any legal citizen of MD.

@Earl, I understand your comment, but lots of people want to come to this country for these reasons. Some do it legally, others illegally. Why should those who come illegally get rewarded? As a country (or state) we can't accommodate everyone in the world who would prefer to be here. Also, these students can't work legally, so what is the point of higher education? They may at some point become legal, but there's no guarantee of that ever happening. Additionally, do we need citizens of Maryland competing with illegal immigrants (who, again, are not legally able to work anyway) for higher-paying jobs? Good jobs are already hard enough to get. Look at the unemployment rates for those who are college educated. As a final point, the more you incentivize illegal immigration, the more you get. What effect is this legislation going to have on the number of illegal aliens who decide to settle down in Maryland as opposed to other states that don't reward illegal immigration? We are becoming a haven/sanctuary state. Do Marylanders want their state to become a haven for illegal aliens? Maybe some do. Apparently some do. This Marylander doesn't.

Fox news at 10 reports that 75000 petitions were turned in tonight. Congrats to all who signed. Maybe this will show these supporters of the Dream Act in Annapolis that you should start sending out your resumes because you are done in office. I can't see you getting the votes you will need from those you tried to help since they can't vote. LOL

Seems some people in Maryland are waking up. Take note Democrats! Common sense will tell youthe that all signers cannot be Republicans. If this "dream" thing would become law, by some chance, It will be a dark day for the citizens of Maryland and cut out a good portion of LEGALstudent applicants. What are the LEGAL students and parents to do? This must really have Democrat pols running scared, especially with the shaky White House of today. Look at the nit-picking groups trying to disallow voters their rights.

This is getting ridiculous. Bunch of self righteous haters. Why do you feel that you deserve to be in this country more than them?

CASA de MD gets tax payer dollars to ruin our state. They are saying through their advocacy director Kim Propeack that Marylanders will support this when they realize the benefits to so many MD kids. This is political speak for Gov. O'Malley calling illegal aliens new Americans. They are not new Americans. They are Mexicans, Guatemalans, Nicauragans, Dominic Republic Natives, Peruvians, Venezulians. You name a Latin American country and that is where they came from. Why is our taxpayer money supporting Community Organizers who are aiding and abetting illegal aliens. Can someone explain this to me. If I could I would have singed the petition a hundred times over. Get them out of here. This treatment of illegal aliens by our government in Maryland is costing us our freedom and our economy. When are the people going to wise up and rise up. Get them out of here now.

In state tuition so those from other states do not get these rates even Americans of other states correct?

But Illegal people here who are ILLEGAL living in the state ILLEGALLY you want to give in state tuition prices.

Living what dream - the dream of invading a country?

I feel disgusted I voted for O'Malley ever and I will not make that mistake again or for anyone that support illegal aliens and yup I am a democrate.

Earl I have a solution for you-why dont you subsidize the Dream Act for illegals?

Does anyone know how hard it is to get in-state tuition rates. I understand every word of this bill and I am a democrate. I signed the petition and got 50 valid signatures. If you were a tax paying Maryland resident and decided to move to Florida, but your child stayed behind to live with relatives, they would not get in-state tuition rates. Your family paid taxes for 40 years, you child is treated as an out of state resident. But if you slithered accross the border illegally and decided to reside in Maryland you just need to find a way to pay Maryland Taxes for a few years and have your child graduate from a Maryland high school and like a miracle - your child gets in-state tuition rates. Our legislature needs to look up the definition of fairness.

Note that 34 Democrats voted against this tuition bill in the legislature, so it's not just Republicans who are opposed. Those 34 Dems deserve credit for doing the right thing here.