VOTE RECORD: Official video of the House Higher Education vote on HB 120 which passed 16-4 on Thursday March 4, 2021 #KaseyCarpenter

Name	District	Position
Chuck Martin (Chairman) DNV Republican	49th	Chairman
Ginny Ehrhart NO Republican	36th	Vice Chairman
Patty Bentley YES Democrat	139th	Secretary
Rhonda Burnough YES Democrat	77th	Member
Kasey Carpenter (Sponsor) YES Republican	4th	Member
Jasmine Clark YES Democrat	108th	Member
Katie Dempsey YES Republican	13th	Member
Robert Dickey YES Republican	140th	Member
David Dreyer YES Democrat	59th	Member
Matt Dubnik NO Republican	29th	Member
Scott Holcomb – absent Democrat	81st	Member
Betsy Holland YES Democrat	54th	Member
Rick Jasperse NO Republican	11th	Member
Angelika Kausche YES Democrat	50th	Member
Trey Kelley – absent Republican	16th	Member
David Knight – absent Republican	130th	Member
Karen Mathiak NO Republican	73rd	Member
Marie Metze YES Democrat	55th	Member
Sam Park YES Democrat	101st	Member
Clay Pirkle YES Republican	155th	Member
Bert Reeves YES Republican	34th	Member
Calvin Smyre “HERE” <– Democrat	135th	Member
Dale Washburn YES Republican	141st	Member
Marcus Wiedower YES Republican	119th	Member
Rick Williams YES Republican	145th	Member

Name

District

Position

Chuck Martin (Chairman) DNV Republican

49th

Chairman

Ginny Ehrhart NO Republican

36th

Vice Chairman

Patty Bentley YES Democrat

139th

Secretary

Rhonda Burnough YES Democrat

77th

Member

Kasey Carpenter (Sponsor) YES Republican

4th

Member

Jasmine Clark YES Democrat

108th

Member

Katie Dempsey YES Republican

13th

Member

Robert Dickey YES Republican

140th

Member

David Dreyer YES Democrat

59th

Member

Matt Dubnik NO Republican

29th

Member

Scott Holcomb – absent Democrat

81st

Member

Betsy Holland YES Democrat

54th

Member

Rick Jasperse NO Republican

11th

Member

Angelika Kausche YES Democrat

50th

Member

Trey Kelley – absent Republican

16th

Member

David Knight – absent Republican

130th

Member

Karen Mathiak NO Republican

73rd

Member

Marie Metze YES Democrat

55th

Member

Sam Park YES Democrat

101st

Member

Clay Pirkle YES Republican

155th

Member

Bert Reeves YES Republican

34th

Member

Calvin Smyre “HERE” <– Democrat

135th

Member

Dale Washburn YES Republican

141st

Member

Marcus Wiedower YES Republican

119th

Member

Rick Williams YES Republican

145th

Member

OCGA 20-3-66 – Determination of in-state resident status of students for tuition or fees

Plea for passage of legislation inaccurate

In an introduction to a recent guest column aimed at pending state higher education legislation on the AJC’S “Get Schooled” blog AJC columnist Maureen Downey leads readers to believe that refugees cannot access instate tuition in Georgia’s public colleges.

In the column (“Afghan women refugees like me want a future in Georgia”) writer Husnia Jamal, apparently a refugee, also laments “But I, like so many other displaced people living in Georgia, found out that I could not access in-state tuition here — no matter how long I live, work, or pay state taxes — because of my immigration status.” As she is migrating to Georgia from Afghanistan, Jamal could also be an ‘SIV’ (Special Visa Immigrant).

A quick look at the Board of Regents webpage on instate tuition eligibility illustrates the truth: ”…lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, or other eligible noncitizens may be extended the same consideration as citizens of the United States in determining whether they qualify for in-state classification.” This includes SIV recipients.

Correction requested.

D.A. KING

PRESIDENT, THE DUSTIN INMAN SOCIETY

MARIETTA, GA. 30066

Reply, soon after (thirteen minutes) I emailed my letter for consideration to be published:

Hello D.A.,

This is the passage in full from the reference you cite:

A non-citizen student shall not be classified as in-state for tuition purposes unless the student is legally in this state and there is evidence to warrant consideration of in-state classification as determined by the Board of Regents. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, or other eligible noncitizens as defined by federal Title IV regulations may be extended the same consideration as citizens of the United States in determining whether they qualify for in-state classification.

As you know from your advocacy, this has long been an issue with public colleges in Georgia. It’s affected straight-A students who arrived here as minors that I know of personally, and who could not pursue a college education in Georgia.

If nothing else, IMHO, the word “may” above (as opposed to say “shall”) leaves ample room for interpretation, good, bad or indifferent, as to who’s eligible for in-state tuition, especially when combined with how the “evidence” mentioned of above is assessed.

So, to my mind, no correction’s warranted to the Op-Ed.

Thanks for continuing to read the AJC.

All best,

Andre Jackson

Opinion Editor

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Andre.Jackson@ajc.com

” src=”blob:https://newdustininmansociety.org/467b2b6b-21d0-4ae0-8dc7-db6788fc58a6″ alt=”image001.png” width=”210.5″ border=”0″ class=”Apple-web-attachment Singleton” style=”width: 2.9305in; height: 0.4444in; opacity: 1;”>