House members vote overwhelmingly to keep illegal aliens from attending Missouri colleges. Illegal aliens wouldn’t be able to attend state colleges and those colleges would have to assure the General Assembly they wouldn’t knowingly admit any illegal aliens.

Rep. Mike Daus (D-St. Louis) says the measure could be abused should members of the Appropriations Committee learn illegal aliens are attending a state college. Daus says public pressure could be placed on the committee to make an example of the university and strip its state funding. Supporters dismiss thoughts that the bill could be used for a witch hunt. Rep. Bryan Stevenson (R-Webb City) says the bill addresses a simple question: why should the state subsidize the education of a person who illegally enters the state? Supporters also note that many state college campuses have international students, who use a special legal proceeding to gain admission into an American college. The bill, HB 269 , has been approved. It now  moves to the Senate. 

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)