Illegal Students: Wasting Time?

Intro: Legislation banning illegal foreigners from public universities would save illegal students time and money says the bill's sponsor.

Amy Becker has more from the state Capitol.

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The sponsor is Republican Representative Jerry Nolte who told the story of an illegal student who could not get a job after he graduated college since he was not a U.S. citizen.

Committee member and St. Louis Democratic Senator Jeff Smith questioned Nolte and asked if in reality Nolte felt he was helping illegals:

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Smith- So you're really doing this to help them?

Nolte- What I'm doing this for, I don't know about help, the thing is I don't see and this is more broadly put on the whole immigration issue, we need to make sure people who come to this country do it lawfully and therefore they would enjoy all the protections that would be afforded to them.

Smith said his main concern over the bill was the effect it might have on dropout rates in local high schools.

Reporting from Jefferson City, I'm Amy Becker KMOX News.

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Intro: Two Senate pension committee members butted heads over testimony given by one witness in opposition to a bill barring illegal students from attending public university.

Amy Becker has more from the state Capitol.

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The testimony was actually a letter from an illegal student living in St. Louis, read by Joshua Ewing from the Missouri Association for Social Welfare.

Republican Senator Gary Nodler questioned whether the illegal student could actually give testimony:

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Since the individual you are speaking for is not a citizen, your communication is really outside the bounds of constitutional representation. Is that not correct?

Ewing- Well...for the?

Nodler- It's either yes or no?

Ewing- I don't know the answer to that question.

Nodler- Well, that's sad. That's a pity.

St. Louis Democratic Senator Jeff Smith saw things differently:

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Smith- Are you a citizen?

Ewing- I am a citizen.

Smith- Then I think that you should be up here and come and petition and read testimony in or give anecdotal evidence in the same way other witnesses come before our committee to do, don't you.

Ewing- I would agree with that.

Smith-Thank you.

The committee has yet to vote on the bill.

Reporting from Jefferson City, I'm Amy Becker, KMOX News.