Darcy Erwin

Article #3
North County Times
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/region-effort-to-repeal-state-dream-act-under-way/article_dceb404c-7298-5a8b-b929-b56931110787.html
REGION: Effort to repeal state Dream Act under way

The California Dream Act, Assembly Bills 130 & 131, are controversial legislation signed by Governor Jerry Brown, allow illegal immigrant students to apply for college scholarships. Republican State Assemblyman, Tim Donnelly, has started gathering signatures and set up a funding committee for a referendum to overturn Assembly Bill 131, which allows illegals access to state-funded scholarships. He is not fighting Assembly Bill 130, which allows access to privately funded scholarships. He needs 505,000 signatures by January 6 to qualify the referendum for the November 2012 ballot.Various proponents of the Dream Act are starting to meet in order to fight the referendum. This Dream Act differs from the federal Dream Act, which would also give illegal immigrants who go to college or serve in the military the opportunity to become citizens, if it is passed. The California Dream Act takes effect in January.


In class we are learning about the Constitution and the Bill of  Rights. This is a good example of how we use both documents today. In this article it talks about how a state is passing a law. We have learned about the Amendment Process and how the Legislative Branch (like the California Legislature) makes the laws and the Executive branch (Governor Jerry Brown) can sign a bill (California Dream Act). It takes signatures on petitions to get a referendum on a ballot and then a vote in order to pass it (as in this attempt to overturn part of the California Dream Act). The federal Dream Act would also also give these rights to illegal immigrants if it is passed, and would affect all states, including California.


This connects to my life because I live in California and plan to go to college in less than 5 years. I am not an illegal immigrant, but in the future if they are allowed to get the scholarships, then I would need to compete for the scholarships with them. I may also have friends who are illegal immigrants and i would wish them the best and would hope they would get the same opportunities that I do.


The children they are talking about have already been in the same school system as I have and I would think it would be unfair to take away their opportunity because of something they had no choice over. I believe that they should be allowed to have a chance at a scholarship because they may impact the future due to the scholarship.