ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland could become the first state in the nation to decide by popular vote that illegal immigrants can be eligible for in-state college tutiton, if students have attended a high school in the state for three years and if they or their parents have paid state income taxes during that time, along with other requirements.
State lawmakers approved the measure last year after long debate in the Democrat-controlled Legislature. However, opponents led by Republican lawmakers successfully petitioned the law signed by Gov. Martin O’Malley to the ballot. It was the first of three successful petition drives that helped create an unusually long ballot this year in Maryland. Measures to allow same-sex marriage and the state’s congressional redistricting map also were successfully petitioned to the voters to decide.
Maryland voters have had a long time to consider the tuition measure, which was signed into law more than a year ago by the Democratic governor before it was put on hold by the successful petition drive.
“I gave quite a bit of thought to it, and I’ve listened to quite a few different opinions and, there again, the more you listen the more you scratch your head, but the people who believe it’s the right thing to do, I think, have the better argument in the long run,” said Dick Glass, a 69-year-old Annapolis resident. He voted early Thursday evening in favor of the question because he thinks it will make illegal immigrants more productive citizens.
But other voters who participated in early voting say they don’t believe someone in the country illegally should get a benefit that U.S. citizens in states outside Maryland cannot.
“They’re legally in this country, but they have to pay out-of-state rates,” said David Morsberger, 47, noting that someone from neighboring Pennsylvania would have to pay much higher rates to attend the University of Maryland, College Park, the state’s flagship university.
The difference in tuition rates is substantial at the University of Maryland, College Park. In-state tuition is $7,175 for the 2012-2013 academic year. Out-of-state tuition is $25,554.
