 "Photo: Katie White — THE BATTALION")
Students gathered in front of the John J. Koldus building Wednesday night with signs meant to tell the Student Senate, "Aggies love Aggies."
The Student Senate voted last night on Senate Bill 63-11, which determines the demographics of college students who receive in-state tuition.
"The proposed bill opposes measures to give in-state tuition to persons residing in the United States illegally," said Hilary Albrecht, the speaker of the senate.
Protestors said the bill discriminated against undocumented students. The protestors came from a variety of organizations.
"We're just students in support of other students on campus," said Gabriel Amaro, a graduate student in the sociology department.
The External Affairs Committee proposed SB 63-11 in a senate meeting last spring, but after student protest and extensive conversation in the meet ing, sent it back to committee for more research and with a promise to students to survey the entire student body about the issue before voting on it.
Sunday, at a rescheduled External Affairs committee meeting, five members of the 20 senators in the committee voted to bring the bill out to the Senate two days later for voting.
"There was also a protest when this bill was brought before the Senate last May," Albrecht said. "It's great to see students take a stance on legislation being debated in Student Senate and getting involved in the process."
Juan Villanueva, a sophomore general studies major and education chairman for the Council for Minority Student Affairs, said he felt the students had been lied to by the senators.
"The senators lied to us last semester, they said they would send the issue back to committee to do more research on the issue, to send surveys out to the student body. Our information shows they have not delivered that promise," Villanueva said.
An External Affairs Committee off-campus senator and junior University studies major, John Landes, said the committee has done research on the issue but did not send out a survey to the student body.
"We were trying to send out a survey to the student body but it was one of those run-around things. We tried and tried and it just never came to fruition," Landes said. "Even without a survey, we have talked to our constituents."
Villanueva said the proposed bill does not reflect the student body.
"We feel this bill is targeting a specific group of people just because of where they come from," Villanueva said. "As Aggies, we don't do that. Aggies love other Aggies. Hate is not an Aggie value."
Landes said the bill is not meant to discriminate. He said it is an issue of fairness. SB 63-11 opposes granting in-state tuition to undocumented students, or students who are not citizens. Jose Luis, class of 2010, and a networking officer for CMSA, said illegal immigrants contribute to the Texas economy because the state issues property taxes and a sales tax.
"So anyone living here or buying goods here are paying taxes and therefore should not be targeted," Luis said. "We think this bill sends a negative message out about the University."
Luis said Rick Perry, class of 1972, signed in the Texas Senate Bill 1528, which grants undocumented students living in Texas in-state tuition for higher education purposes. Students who have lived in Texas for 36 months, who have received a GED or high school diploma from a Texas high school and have signed a notarized letter stating they will file an application to become a legal citizen are eligible for Senate Bill 1528.
The bill voted on last night opposed Bill 1528, but did not aim to dictate how the University would act in regards to the issue.
"The decision of the vote would not bind the University in any way, but it would reflect the opinion of the student body," Albrecht said. "If the bill passes, it would recommend to Texas A&M University to lobby the state government to discontinue in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants."
Landes said if the bill passed in the Student Senate, they would propose it to the Texas Legislature this spring. Protestors said they worried the senators would pass the bill based on personal beliefs rather than listening to their constituents.
"As an Aggie speaking individually, I feel betrayed by senators who were supposed to represent me," Villanueva said.
Landes said he believed most senators would vote on behalf of their constituents.
"Some senators think they know what is best for their constituents, but I have faith whatever the outcome of the vote tonight, it will reflect our constituents," Landes said.
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#1 - I think the fact that students got involved in Senate and a Senate bill is extremely positive. Many stood up for their beliefs in opposing this bill, and that is democracy in action. Every student should be diligent in checking the Senate website, sending emails to their Senators commenting on bills, and attending or watching Senate meetings online. You are responsible for your own Student Government. If you don't say something and a bill passes that you disagreed with, then don't complain.Negatives
#2 - I think a lot of the comments about how Senate operates shows a general lack of awareness as to the function of the organization. It is the legislative branch of Student Government charged with forming policy, not a survey organization. It has served in this capacity for over 63 years. Part of that responsibility is voting on recommendations for changes in policies to Texas A&M Administration or the State Legislature. Voting means voting. It doesn't mean taking an opinion poll and using that as a substitute. The reason Senators are supposed to poll and talk to their constituents is because (a) it is a wise thing to do, (b) fosters effective decision making, and (c) gives the Senator an educated idea of what his constituents feel about how he will vote. Ultimately; however, it is up to the Senator to vote yes or no and live with the consequences. If you don't like how your Senators vote, then vote them out of office next Spring, run for office yourself, or take action pursuant to Article III of the SGA Constitution and institute an initiative petition (it's as simple as that...). This is a republican form of Government people, not a democracy, and that is how Government in College Station, Texas, and the United States has operated, operates, and will always operate. TO operate any other way is to plunge us into the caos of the city state of Athens in ancient history (pure democracy) or the tyranny Stalinist Russia (dictatorship).#3 - There were a lot of grossly inappropriate statements made by those opposing this bill, either expressly or impliedly. Calling this the vote of "white men" when a diversity of Senators voted for this bill; calling this "targetting hispanics" when nowhere in the text of the bill does it do so; calling this "anti-diverse" when this has nothing to do with diversity, but with whether students are comfortable having undocumented residents be treated as residents, when non-residents and international students aren't; and saying this is somehow anti-Aggie, when this is simply a policy bill.Look if you oppose the bill, oppose the bill, but don't call it's proponents racists. Call them un-wise, or something else, whatever other label you want to maturely put on this situation. I think everyone understands that Aggies love other Aggies, but that doesn't mean we can't have a mature discussion about policy.
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