Colgan responds to letter writer
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CHARLES J. “CHUCK” COLGAN
Published: February 29, 2008
This year I have introduced three bills related to the illegal alien problem. One bill would have initiated an instant background check that employers could use before hiring prospective employees and they could very quickly determine whether the individual was legal or illegal. This process is referred to as E-verification. An assistant to the General Attorney advised me that the bill conflicted with federal law.
Therefore the bill and similar bills were defeated in the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice.
I also introduced a resolution directing the Congress of the United States to do their job and accept responsibilities for the illegal alien problem and stop placing this problem in the laps of state and local governments.
This resolution passed the Senate by unanimous vote and is currently being considered in the House of Delegates. A second resolution I introduced in the General Assembly of Virginia would request the Attorney General to file suit against the federal government in an attempt to recover the cost Virginia has had to bear due to the influx of illegal aliens which was not controlled by the federal government.
During discussions on the bill, it was determined that seven states have attempted to do this and have failed. Therefore, the resolution was carried over until next year and will be reconsidered in the 2009 session of the General Assembly.
The writer claimed I voted for legislation which would allow illegal aliens to attend our colleges and universities and pay in-state tuition. This is partly true. However, what his letter didn’t state are the conditions under which the so-called illegal student would be permitted to enroll.
The conditions are: If the student has been a resident of the United States for at least three years, if the student graduated from a Virginia high school, if at least one parent has filed a tax return during that past three years and if the student has initiated the process of becoming a citizen; it is better that he or she be educated. I voted for a similar bill during Governor Mark Warner’s term.
The writer claimed I voted recently for an increase in the gasoline tax.
He failed to say that I also was one of seven co-sponsors of legislation, which abolished the hated abusive driver’s fines which were levied against drivers who violated certain traffic laws. Not only did that
bill pass but it also contained provisions to reimburse those who paid these fines after July 1, 2007.
That bill has passed both the House and Senate. It was projected that this law would have generated $65 million toward transportation funding. Some method had to be found to reimburse the state $65 million in lost revenue.
The bill which I voted for would increase the gas tax one cent per gallon this year and each year for a total of five cents per gallon after five years. Since I voted for a bill which was going to reduce revenues by $65 million I thought it proper to try to replace that revenue with the slight increase in gasoline tax which will, in part, be paid by out-of-state drivers. Under the Abusive Driver’s Law, out-of-state drivers were exempt.
CHARLES J. “CHUCK” COLGAN
Democratic Virginia State Senator for the 29th District
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( zcxnissan ) on March 03, 2008 at 3:37 am
Looks like Mr. Colgan cares more about illegal aliens getting an education than the legal citizenry and the gas tax, like the reader who posted initially. Mr. Colgan just another broken promises politician. Hike taxes it’s the solution? Why not cut spending instead? Makes sense? Chris Cummings
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Posted by ( phdee ) on March 01, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Repubs should get a bag of lemon and suck on them.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on February 29, 2008 at 9:32 am
It looks like local Republicans have adopted Karl Rove tactics of bashing the Democrat in office prior to the election. Bob Fiztsimmons has been trying to defect Senator Colgan for what, 12 years now? Bob, your ideas are out of step with the community and slinging dirt doesn’t work anymore.
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