An Orwellian gimmick: Scratch 'instate tuition' and 'illegal aliens' - it's "Opportunity Tuition" and "Opportunity Students" in Georgiafornia #HB120

A version of the below column was posted yesterday (March 8) on the widely read subscription website, Insider Advantage Georgia. It was also sent to every Republican member of the Georgia House early yesterday morning. Yesterday was “Crossover Day” in the Republican-majority Georgia General Assembly, after which any bill that did not pass out of either chamber is dead for the year – unless it is attached to another bill that did cross over. HB 120 was set to pass but an oversupply of education distributed to grassroots GOP voters stopped it.

Americans win one. After much labor, as of about 10:45 PM March 8, HB 120 is now as dead as Pancho Villa for 2021 (see above caveat).

Conservative Georgia voters are “give-me-that-phone” outraged that HB 120 passed out of the Republican-controlled House Higher Education Committee last week. Sponsored by Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, the bill adjusts Georgia law so illegal aliens pay far less in the public post–secondary education system than Americans and legal immigrants who live in most other states.

It’s being called “equity.” And “workforce development.”

Dalton Rep Kasey Carpenter. Photo: Ga House.

The measure is aimed specifically at recipients of former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This is notable in that contrary to Carpenter’s previous claims and agenda-driven, inaccurate media reports, the bill as moved actually now does contain a reference to “DACA” for the first time. Including the billionaires at the little-known FWD.us lobbying corporation, Carpenter has widespread and effective support from the usual special interest suspects.

HB 120 advanced last Thursday by a 16-4 vote in the 25–member committee with all Democrats “present” (it was a ‘hybrid’ meeting) except, apparently, Rep Scott Holcombe. With the exception of Rep Calvin Smyre, they all voted “yes.” Smyre is the Dean of the House. He voted “here.”

Republicans Trey Kelly and David Knight were absent.

Voting with the Dems were Republicans Carpenter, Clay Pirkle, Dale Washburn, Marcus Wiedower, Rick Williams, Robert Dickey, Bert Reeves and Katie Dempsey.

The last two names deserve extra attention. Before the vote, Reeves offered public remarks to Carpenter thanking him for his courage and inspiration in sponsoring the illegal alien-friendly legislation and cited un-named “blatant lies” involved in the widespread opposition to the bill. Reeves was not a sponsor of HB 120.

Dempsey’s “yes” vote appears to reflect a leftward evolution in that she was a co–sponsor of Georgia’s nationally–publicized, pro-enforcement ‘Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011 (HB87).  

GOP Rep. Katie Dempsey. Photo: General Assembly website.

Currently, illegal aliens – including DACA recipients – must pay out-of-state tuition in the public-funded higher education schools that allow them to attend. For academic year 2020-2021, the average tuition & fees for Colleges in Georgia was $4,732 for in-state and $17,060 for out-of-state.

Without so much as a nod to Georgia Orwell, in place of the words “in–state tuition,” the latest language in Carpenter’s HB 120 creates a new tier of charges called “Opportunity Tuition.”

The new “opportunity tuition” rates for illegal aliens with DACA would be no more than 110 percent of the in–state rate. The illegal alien beneficiaries would be known as “Opportunity Students.”

The gimmick is actually quite ingenious in a Snidely Whiplash sort of way. But we are guessing that an immigrant family in Michigan or New York etc. who obeyed our laws to join the American family will disagree. They may not grasp why they must pay much more for the opportunity to send their kid to Kennesaw State University than a family who illegally jumped a border fence (or overstayed their visitor visa) for the opportunity to live illegally in the Peach State.

According to DHS, Georgia is home to more illegal aliens than Arizona.

Word is that at least some of the Regents were given the opportunity to learn about the proposed new tuition structure well after Thursday’s committee vote.

If the House Rules chairman sends HB 120 to the floor, now wide-awake Republican voters will have the opportunity to see how their representatives vote on special treatment for “‘victims of borders” in college tuition. It will be a timely lesson, as there are tens of thousands more on their way right now.

The HB 120 bill language, committee voting record and a link to the official video of the March 4, 2021 committee meeting can be seen here. Previous InsiderAdvantage Georgia coverage of HB 120 here.

D.A. King is president of the Dustin Inman Society and proprietor of ImmigrationPoliticsGA.com

—>UPDATE: The liberal AJC prints a lengthy correction after demand letter from the Dustin Inman Society. More news on this coming soon.

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Daily Signal News report (‘DEFAMATORY’: Conservative Demands Swing-State Newspaper Retract ‘Hate Group’ Smear’)
on the recent AJC attack here by the great Tyler O’Neil.

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I added educational hyperlinks to the below letter – dak.

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October 18, 2024

VIA U.S. REGULAR MAIL & E-MAIL

Leroy Chapman, Jr., Editor in Chief THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION 223 Perimeter Center Pkwy NE Atlanta, Georgia 30346

Re: Demand for Retraction and Apology

Dear Mr. Chapman, Jr.:

I write on behalf of my client, the Dustin Inman Society (DIS), to demand an immediate retraction and apology for the defamatory statements published in your October 7, 2024, article titled “Democrats in this Georgia district are backing a write-in candidate” by Tia Mitchell.

Through use of internet links, the AJC article wrongfully characterizes the Dustin Inman Society as a “Marietta-based anti-immigration hate group.” This characterization is false, defamatory, and published with actual malice. The Dustin Inman Society pushes for secure borders, is not “anti-immigration” and its proprietors do not hate anyone. Rather, DIS advocates for enforcement of U.S. immigration laws and actively opposes unlawful immigration. This distinction is crucial and well-known to staff at your publication.

I paste the offending paragraph from the AJC story:

“A search of activity under her birth name, Karen Sacandy, which Stamper legally changed in 2019, showed that she previously was aligned with a Marietta-based anti-immigration hate group. The group’s website often linked to Sacandy’s activities, like a letter seeking information about the state’s Immigration Enforcement Review Board and a copy of a letter to the editor supporting legislation to prevent immigrants claiming asylum from obtaining driver’s licenses.”

HEMMER WESSELS MCMURTRY PLLC
250 Grandview Drive, Suite 500, Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017 ● Phone 859.344.1188 ● Fax 859.578.3869

October 18, 2024 Page 2

We note the AJC informs readers that the Dustin Inman Society “often” linked to Karen Sacandy/Kate Stamper activities — but produces only two occasions.

Your story, for which DIS founder and president D.A. King was not contacted, informs readers that Sacandy/Stamper “was aligned” with the Dustin Inman Society. We note that polls show that a majority of Americans oppose the federal offense of illegal immigration. Since the letter posted on the DIS site was a published missive to the editor at the Cherokee Tribune, we must ask: does this make that newspaper a “Cherokee County-based anti-immigration hate group”?

Your characterization demonstrates a reckless and vindictive disregard for the truth, rising to the level of actual malice as defined in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Actual malice in defamation law refers to publication of a statement with knowledge that it is false or with reckless disregard of whether it is false or not. Your repeated mischaracterization of the Dustin Inman Society, despite having been corrected on numerous occasions, clearly meets this standard.

The Dustin Inman Society’s position on immigration is clear and public:

1. It supports sustainable levels of legal immigration through established channels.

2. It opposes unlawful immigration due to various societal concerns, including: – Strain on public resources and services
– Potential and real public safety issues
– Economic impacts on low-wage American workers and America’s poor

– Challenges to the rule of law

3. The Dustin Inman Society defends legal immigrants when media attempt to blur the difference between them and illegal aliens.

Moreover, the Dustin Inman Society’s board includes lawful immigrants who have navigated the proper channels for authorized immigration. This fact alone should dispel any notion that the organization is “anti-immigration.” As he has informed you multiple times over much of the last two decades, D.A. King’s sister is a real, legal immigrant.

While we acknowledge that the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the Dustin Inman Society as an “anti-immigrant hate group that denigrates all immigrants,” your article presents the “anti-immigration hate group” characterization as the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s independent assessment and statement of fact.

This smear is not only demonstrably false and ignores Mr. King’s many communications to you advising you of the truth, but also demonstrates an exceedingly unprofessional failure to fact-check and verify information before publication.

We demand that the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

October 18, 2024 Page 3

1. Immediately publicly retract the defaming statement in the October 7, 2024, article.

2. Publish a prominent apology, equal in visibility and placement to the original defamatory article.

3. Cease and desist from further defamatory characterizations of the Dustin Inman Society.

Failure to comply with these demands may result in further legal action. We expect your prompt attention to this matter and await your timely response.

Sincerely,

Todd V. McMurtry

cc: James Abely, Esq.