FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOV. 2, 2022
CONTACT: Karen Ottoni, 806-730-0411, karen@abicaction.org
Arizona Republicans, Democrats Applaud President Obama’s Endorsement of Prop. 308
“Congress still needs to take care of Dreamers but in the meantime you can vote yes on Prop. 308 here in Arizona to make sure Dreamers have access to higher education as the kids they grew up with. It’s the right thing to do. It’s good for Arizona. It’s good for our economy.” – President Obama
PHOENIX, AZ – Arizona republicans and democrats issued the following statements in response to President Obama’s call (full remarks on Prop 308 below) for passage for Prop 308 at a campaign rally in Phoenix tonight.
“President Obama’s historical role in the lives of our nation’s Dreamers carries considerable weight when it comes to policies like Prop 308 which stand to make a fairer world for Arizona’s dreamers to freely pursue their ambitions, attain their degrees, give back to their communities, and grow Arizona’s economy. I applaud the President for his support of Prop. 308 and hope it will inspire other leaders from both parties to join him.” – Rebecca Shi, Executive Director, American Business Immigration Coalition Action.
“The endorsement of President Obama underscores how important it is for Arizona to vote ‘YES ON PROP 308.’ Arizona has an opportunity to correct a harmful mistake and allow Arizona Dreamers to pay in-state college tuition just like their fellow high school graduates – with no new taxes and no giveaways. Arizona Dreamers will earn their way, just as how they have done their entire life in the only country they’ve ever known. Vote Yes on Prop 308 is a Yes for Arizona and a Yes for Fairness.” –David Adame, Chairman of Sí Se Vota Chicanos Por La Causa Action Fund and Republican.
“As the creator of DACA, President Obama has always been an important voice for Dreamers in Arizona and the Democratic Party, and we wholeheartedly welcome having his voice added to the growing bipartisan chorus of prominent politicians speaking out in support of Prop. 308 and the tuition fairness it promises for all Arizona students.” –Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director, LUCHA Arizona and Democrat.
“I commend President Obama for speaking out in support of tuition fairness and workforce investment, values that transcend partisan politics. As a former Arizona republican state legislator who entered politics largely to stop our state’s wave of anti-immigrant attacks, next week marks an historic opportunity for Arizonans to take an important step in righting the wrongs of the past by flipping their ballots and voting yes on Prop. 308.” –Former Republican Arizona State Senator Bob Worsley.
Background
The President joined a growing Yes On 308 social media campaign with videos released by high profile Arizona democrats and republicans including Karrin Taylor Robson, Arizona State House Speaker Rusty Bowers, and U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
What would Prop 308 do? Prop 308 would enable any person who has lived in Arizona for two or more years and graduated from an Arizona high school to attend Arizona colleges regardless of their immigration status and pay the same in-state tuition rates. Dreamers – Arizona high school graduates who came to our state as children without documentation – are our students. They deserve the same opportunities as other high school graduates.
Prop. 308 is fairness for all high school students. Each year, college is much less affordable for more than 3,600 Arizona high school graduates who do not qualify for in-state tuition at Arizona state schools. College-bound Dreamers who came to Arizona as children without documentation are currently treated as out-of-state students who must pay triple the in-state tuition rate, even though they graduated from our high schools. Prop. 308 would let Dreamers pay the in-state tuition rate. There is no “cutting in line” and they must pay the same as other Arizona students.
Who qualifies? Anyone who has lived in Arizona for at least two years and graduated from an Arizona high school would be charged the same in-state tuition rates at the state’s public colleges and universities as their fellow Arizona high school graduates. More than 3,600 Arizona students would benefit from an in-state tuition policy every year.
Economic benefits for Arizona: Keeping Arizona’s prospective college graduates in Arizona can only help grow our state’s economy, granting access to in-state tuition to all Arizona graduates is an important step toward meeting critical workforce needs and would greatly benefit the state’s economy.
Research highlights the crucial role that student Dreamers play in Arizona’s economy, including in some of the state’s fastest-growing and most in-demand fields, like healthcare, education, and the skilled trades. Still, the state is facing critical workforce shortages across the skills and education spectrum.
No new taxes: The conservative state budget review committee noted that this proposal would have ZERO impact on the state budget; that means it will cost taxpayers nothing extra to do this and the state’s economy will benefit.
Economic growth: $617.9 Million overall spending power for all of Arizona’s DACA eligible population. Earning a college degree by paying in-state tuition would boost the earnings of Arizona’s Dreamers by more than $28 million annually.
20 States Have passed in-state tuition for Dreamers: Conservative-led states like Florida, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, are among 20 states that have passed in-state tuition for Dreamers and have an advantage over Arizona in the search for top-notch employees.
Prop. 308 reflects Arizona values: Arizonans want to work hard, follow the rules, get a good job and reach their potential. Together, we can ensure all of our high school graduates have a fair shot at becoming productive, tax-paying members of society, no matter what they look like or where they were born. By setting in-state tuition fees for Dreamers, we can keep them in Arizona, the only home they’ve known.
ABOUT
Yes On 308 is a bipartisan campaign led by education, business, faith, and civic leaders seeking to provide all Arizona high school graduates, regardless of their immigration status, the opportunity to pay their own way through college at the in-state tuition rate. Ending the unfair treatment of Arizona’s undocumented high school graduates by allowing equal access to in-state tuition rates at the state colleges and universities will allow them to reach their educational goals, become self-sufficient, and give back to our community.
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