ALBANY – New York Gov. Cuomo for the first time says he would sign a bill if it passes the Legislature to allow state financial aid programs to cover college tuition costs for kids of illegal immigrants.
Cuomo made the little-noticed comment on the DREAM Act at a recent Capitol press conference.
The governor previously has said he supports a federal DREAM Act, but had not taken a position on a state version.
“We’re already within striking distance, so the governor’s support raises the stakes in a big way,” said state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Queens), the state Senate bill’s prime sponsor.
Some insiders believe Cuomo made the comments to appease the minority community, with whom he’s had an up-and-down relationship, in his reelection year knowing it won’t likely pass the Senate.
But several legislators said Cuomo and his aides in recent months held four meetings with a group of Hispanic and black lawmakers to discuss how big a priority the DREAM Act is and whether they’d accept a weaker measure — which they won’t.
“We were very, very clear with the governor that the DREAM Act was the number one priority for us and that we need his leadership to help us get it done this year,” Assembly bill sponsor Francisco Moya (D-Queens) said.
While the Assembly intends to pass the measure again this week, the big question is whether there are enough votes in the Senate to send it to Cuomo.
Of the chamber’s 32 Dems, 27 are sponsors of the bill. Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan) is not one of them, but has pushed similar legislation in the past.
State Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) told the Daily News he would support the bill if money is added to the state budget to cover the additional costs.
That brings the total to a possible 29 “yes” votes, just three short of what is needed for passage.
It also puts more pressure on Senate co-Leader Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx) to deliver. Klein has said he wants to know how many Democrats are on board so he can try and flip needed Republicans. Progressive groups fear Klein talks a big game but ultimately can’t deliver on their key issues.
Klein has tried to turn it back on the Dems, saying they don’t have the votes to pass it.
No Senate Republicans have come out for the bill. Senate GOP Leader Dean Skelos has said his conference opposes using taxpayer money on illegal immigrants.
GOP sources say Skelos in a recent closed-door meeting with his members listed the DREAM Act, the public financing of campaigns, and a strengthening of abortion rights as issues he won’t allow to the floor for a vote.
Washington recently became the fourth state in the country to approve its own DREAM Act allowing state financial assistance for undocumented immigrants in college. The measure cleared that state’s GOP-controlled Senate.
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Mayor de Blasio’s push in his state of the city address to give localities the power to set their own minimum wage rates actually hurt the effort this year, supporters of the measure say.
De Blasio surprised some of those pushing the issue by including it in the speech. Key supporters complained the mayor didn’t give them enough time to lay the necessary groundwork in Albany, where the response has been frigid from leaders.
“Timing is everything,” said one. “We wanted de Blasio’s support but not while he’s in the middle of a major fight with the governor over prekindergarten.”
Another agreed, but said that with 70% of voters supporting a minimum wage hike, “the governor shouldn’t oppose doing it just because one of them is the mayor of New York City.”
Jonathan Westin, executive director of New York Communities For Change, disagreed that de Blasio’s inclusion of the issue in his speech was a surprise since the mayor talked about it during the campaign.
De Blasio spokesman Phil Walzak said, “This is an issue of basic fairness. A full day’s work shouldn’t keep a family trapped in poverty.”
