Union President Vows Fight for Additional Legislation To Help Students
United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez issued the following statement from the union’s Keene, Calif., headquarters after Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 130, one of the Dream Act bills:
“Farm workers from all over the nation have joined students to lobby in support of the DREAM Act, both at the state and federal levels. On Monday, July 25, 2011 Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 130, one of two ‘Dream Act’ bills in California. This bill allows students who meet in-state tuition requirements to apply for and receive scholarships derived from non-state funds. Currently, students will be eligible for such scholarships at two California universities – UC Berkeley and UCLA.
“We applaud the DREAM students of California for their continued efforts that have led to this first taste of victory. DREAM students and their allies, including the UFW, have engaged in voter registration, elections, marches, and acts of civil disobedience that have led to arrests to make advances. We shall continue working until we win a more financially funded DREAM Act, AB 131 in California, along with enactment of federal legislation granting legal status and a path to citizenship which would benefit a far larger number of students and their families.”