The current immigrant financial aid bill recently signed into law is disappointing and disturbing. This legislation was supported by both parties in the House and Senate and signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee as reported in the Feb. 27 story “Inslee signs immigrant financial aid bill.”
The bill provides $5 million in funding for direct grants to children of illegal immigrants without any need for them to be citizens, actively work toward citizenship, or repay this loan through public service (i.e., Selective Service). This vote should be offensive to all residents who choose to obey the laws and support our state with their hard-earned taxes, in addition to those immigrants who are actively working toward citizenship through the process we have as a country.
It is our elected officials’ sworn responsibility to uphold the law and be fiscally responsible. In the support of this act, many of our elected representatives failed their legal constituency. Local state “representatives” who voted for this include: Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver; Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver; Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver; and Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver. We need to hold them accountable in November.
Tim Hein
Camas
