Immigration bill on docket again

A law allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition will again come under fire in the 2007 Legislative session.

Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, is, for the fourth time, sponsoring a bill to repeal a 2002 law that allows undocumented students who have lived in Utah for three years and graduated from high school to pay in-state tuition.

Donnelson is also sponsoring a repeated attempt to repeal driving privilege cards that allow undocumented immigrants to drive legally.

"We've got to get a handle on illegal immigration," Donnelson said. "We just can't continue to ignore they are here illegally. ... Unless we do something, the federal government is going to ignore it."

The bills could be among several dealing with illegal immigration that arise in the upcoming session.

"It's very concerning," said Theresa Martinez, co-chairwoman of Utahns for the American Dream Coalition, which opposes repealing the tuition law.

In the 2005-06 school year, 182 students took advantage of the law system-wide, for a total tuition savings of $887,790 less than the out-of-state rate, according to the Utah System of Higher Education.

Arguments in the past have largely centered around whether or not Utah's law is in violation of federal law. Utah's Attorney General's Office says it is, but a private attorney involved in litigation over similar laws in other states has said it isn't.

"It's almost like people don't realize these (undocumented) people aren't going to go away," Martinez said. "They're hiding from the real issue. We really need federal reform."

Donnelson has hinted he may sponsor other bills, including a bill to require employers to verify their workers' legal status. He sponsored such a bill last year, but it never made it to the floor for a hearing.

And Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, has said she's sponsoring a series of get-tough measures similar to what Colorado lawmakers and voters enacted last year, which includes measures such as requiring identification to access state services. Morgan, whose bills haven't been released, did not return a phone call for comment Wednesday.

Kirk Jowers, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, said he doubts Utah lawmakers will get to anything as comprehensive as Colorado's legislation.

"They'll continue to fight on some of these more isolated issues," he said.

Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, the new chairman of the House Education Standing Committee, supported the attempted repeal last year and said while he hasn't reviewed the new bill, he still supports the concept.

"I think like any bill, ideas take a while to take hold," Hughes said. "Immigration policy among state lawmakers is getting more and more attention."

The bills are HB224 and HB220.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com