From the debate on a bill to allow children of immigrants who attend Connecticut high schools for four years and then graduate to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities - transcript of the Connecticut House of Representatives - May 17, 2007:

"REP. KIRKLEY-BEY: (5th)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have really enjoyed the different opinions that have been stated with regard to this Bill. I want to say it's been interesting. It was interesting when we did it before and I just wanted to add a couple of comments. We talk about the illegal aliens who are in this country.

But they're being brought here by American companies. They're being brought here by farmers, by tobacco growers, by other people to be doing the work that American low-income folks don't want to do.

They're here being put in substandard housing. They're being here, used and not given medical help. They're being put and used in a way that I don't many of us would want to do.

And maybe some of our grandparents and great-grandparents did it when they first came to this country. My grandparents emigrated here from the Cape Verde Islands in the early 1900s.

The children of these folks are saying, I want to go to school. I want to do something to provide a better education for myself, and hopefully for those of my children that come after.

We had a Dr. Robert Lynn Ballard here yesterday, who talked about the value of America and for America to continue to perform in the global market, it needed to have the mental ability of all of its citizens. He didn't mention illegal or not illegal.

I remember several years ago, there was a woman here who was a lawyer for the Aetna, who was asked to be, I believe, the Attorney General of the United States of America, who did not take that job because she had illegal aliens working for her as a daycare provider for her children and as a housekeeper.

Now, she has a legal degree, and if she couldn't remember that was the law, then I don't see how we're expecting some of these young children, who are not being told by their parents exactly what their status is.

I believe, as Representative Truglia said, the way out of poverty is education. And if we could allow the University of Connecticut to misuse the amount of money we gave them to rehab those buildings and what it cost the State of Connecticut to have them fixed so that they met code, we could have sent all 200 of these kids to school at the out-of-state rate.

So I think we owe them. They didn't ask to come here. Their parents brought them, or American companies brought many of them here, and they're just saying, give me an opportunity to give back to the country that I consider my homeland. And I ask my colleagues to please support this Amendment."

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From the transcript of the Connecticut House of Representatives - May 16, 2007:

"REP. KIRKLEY-BEY: (5th)

Representative Walker and I are on a roll today, Mr. Speaker. I just want to make a couple of statements.

We have talked on various bills, and various issues with regard to this Legislative Session, and one of the things we've talked about is the number of uninsured and underinsured people that we have, the number of people who can't afford to pay co-pays of their insurance, and if by chance they have a car that they need to get back and forth to work, now we're going to charge them extra monies to pay for the premiums for those cars.

Like Representative Walker, three months ago somebody hit me and took the whole front end of my car off, and he didn't have any insurance either, and he didn't live in Hartford. He lived out in Vernon somewhere.

And so, he ran a red light and we're still trying to get some money out of him if at all possible. But the problem that I have is the disparity between the haves and the have-nots, in this state continue to grow, and I'm sick and tired of seeing legislation that makes that happen.

I have never done this in the 15 years that I've been here, Mr. Speaker, but I'm asking, can we PT this Bill?

DEPUTY SPEAKER GODFREY:

The distinguished Deputy Majority Leader, Representative Christ.

REP. CHRIST: (11th)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move this Bill be passed temporarily.

DEPUTY SPEAKER GODFREY:

Motion is, the question before the House is to pass the Bill temporarily. Is there objection? Is there objection? Hearing none, the Bill is passed temporarily.

Will the Clerk please call Calendar Number 574."