Tagged: immigration

Two Providence lawmakers are throwing their support behind a bill that would upgrade in-state college tuition for undocumented students from a state policy to a state law. It’s a bill that’s been introduced before.

Two years ago the Board of Governors for Higher Education signed off on a policy that provides in-state tuition for undocumented students who have attended a Rhode Island high school for at least three years. State Senator Juan Pichardo of Providence says it’s time to upgrade that policy to a state law.

For nearly a decade every Rhode Island legislative session has brought a florid and divisive debate over immigration issues. First it was whether the state should require all businesses to check the citizenship status of employees by using a federal computer database known as E-Verify.

State Senator Donna Nesselbush (D-Pawtucket) joins myself, Scott MacKay and Maureen Moakley on the Roundtable this week as we discuss the outlook for same-sex marriage. Other topics include bipartisan support for immigration reform in the US Senate, the State of the City address by Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and state Treasurer Gina Raimondo's mid-term report.

Senator Jack Reed says it’s encouraging to see a bi-partisan plan to address immigration come out of the US Senate. The eight senators rolled out a plan that allows for more guest workers and creates a path to citizenship for the millions of illegal immigrants already here.