As immigration legislation moves forward on Capitol Hill, generating widespread debate and providing glimpses of an emerging bipartisan consensus, a less ambitious effort in Albany is playing out differently.
With less than four weeks to go in the legislative session, a bill that would open up college financial aid to undocumented immigrants in New York seems stalled.
The measure, the New York State Dream Act, passed overwhelmingly in the Democratic-dominated Assembly this week, with voting along party lines. But the bill’s supporters acknowledged that its chances were slim in the Senate, where Republicans share control in a coalition with breakaway Democrats.
The measure, which the supporters said was the most important legislative issue in New York touching upon immigrants, would allow undocumented students who meet certain conditions to receive financial aid through state programs. It would also establish a private scholarship program for children of immigrants and allow unauthorized immigrants and their families to open tuition savings accounts.
The bill, a version of which was introduced in 2011, borrows its name from previous federal legislation that would have provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Much of the earlier federal legislation was incorporated in the immigration bill now before the United States Senate, but the state measure would not offer young immigrants a chance to gain legal status.Continue reading the main story
While about a dozen states, including New York, allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition rates, only three — California, New Mexico and Texas — allow them to receive government tuition aid.
Proponents have argued that the bill would be an economic boon for the state because it would help undocumented immigrants improve their educational opportunities and prepare them better for the work force.
This week, the state comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, estimated that the New York legislation would add less than $20 million in costs — less than 2 percent — to the largest state financial aid program, called the Tuition Assistance Program.
“A better-educated work force will benefit New York’s economy,” he said in a statement.
But opponents, mostly Republicans, said it was not appropriate to use public funds to assist illegal immigrants. Some opponents said illegal immigrants should not be able to obtain any tuition help, whether public or private.
“I do not support expanding eligibility for college scholarships to undocumented immigrants at the expense of immigrants who are lawfully in our country,” Senator Lee M. Zeldin, a Long Island Republican, said in a statement.
Assemblyman David DiPietro, a Republican from western New York, called the state Dream Act “preposterous.”
“Albany should not be doling out entitlement programs to lawbreakers, including those willfully violating federal laws,” he said in a statement. “The Dream Act is just another nightmare for New York State taxpayers.”
Supporters have been preparing a lobbying push, including door-to-door campaigning, phone calls and town-hall-style meetings in crucial districts, as well as visits to legislators’ offices.
“We’re at a critical moment,” said Javier H. Valdés, an executive director of Make the Road New York, an immigrants’ advocacy group that is part of a coalition spearheading the lobbying. “We need to ramp up the pressure.”
The supporters said the fate of the measure in the State Senate rests with two men: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, who represents a district that straddles the Bronx and Westchester County and is leader of the breakaway Democratic caucus.
Asked at a news conference this week whether public funds should be used for educational grants for illegal immigrants, Mr. Cuomo said, “I support the Dream Act in concept.”
But Mr. Cuomo added that the issue had not been “a topic of conversation” — a reference to end-of-session negotiations with legislative leaders.
Earlier this year, Mr. Klein, seeking backing from reluctant legislators, suggested financing the Tuition Assistance Program with a licensing fee on proposed new casinos. But many of the bill’s proponents have rejected Mr. Klein’s idea, saying that tuition assistance measures should not be tied to a casino initiative that, even if successful, could take years to come to fruition.
Mr. Klein said that while he supported the bill in its current form, he was pushing for a piecemeal approach to the legislation to ensure that some of its elements were adopted. But proponents are resisting such a strategy.
“In an ideal world, if we had the vote for the bill, I’d support it,” Mr. Klein said in an interview. “But I’m also a realist and I want to get it done, and I think we need to do a compromise approach.”
He said he wanted to redraft the bill to remove the Tuition Assistance Program but keep the privately financed scholarship program, as well as access to the tuition savings plan. That change would give lawmakers more time to figure out an additional financing stream for the Tuition Assistance Program, he said.
“I hope we can come together and negotiate a bill that gives these young people a chance to get a college education,” Mr. Klein said.Continue reading the main story
The text is a news article discussing the New York State Dream Act, a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to receive financial aid for college in New York. The article provides background on the bill, its potential economic impact, and the political debate surrounding it.
no_question
Given a text passage, determine:
    1. If it contains a mathematical question (including word problems or calculations)
    2. If an answer to that mathematical question is provided in the text

First, describe the content structure you found in 1-2 sentences.

Then provide your analysis in the following format:
TYPE: <one of the following values>
- NO_QUESTION
- SINGLE_QUESTION
- SINGLE_QUESTION_WITH_ANSWER
- MULTIPLE_QUESTIONS
- MULTIPLE_QUESTIONS_WITH_ANSWERS
system
As immigration legislation moves forward on Capitol Hill, generating widespread debate and providing glimpses of an emerging bipartisan consensus, a less ambitious effort in Albany is playing out differently.
With less than four weeks to go in the legislative session, a bill that would open up college financial aid to undocumented immigrants in New York seems stalled.
The measure, the New York State Dream Act, passed overwhelmingly in the Democratic-dominated Assembly this week, with voting along party lines. But the bill’s supporters acknowledged that its chances were slim in the Senate, where Republicans share control in a coalition with breakaway Democrats.
The measure, which the supporters said was the most important legislative issue in New York touching upon immigrants, would allow undocumented students who meet certain conditions to receive financial aid through state programs. It would also establish a private scholarship program for children of immigrants and allow unauthorized immigrants and their families to open tuition savings accounts.
The bill, a version of which was introduced in 2011, borrows its name from previous federal legislation that would have provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Much of the earlier federal legislation was incorporated in the immigration bill now before the United States Senate, but the state measure would not offer young immigrants a chance to gain legal status.Continue reading the main story
While about a dozen states, including New York, allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition rates, only three — California, New Mexico and Texas — allow them to receive government tuition aid.
Proponents have argued that the bill would be an economic boon for the state because it would help undocumented immigrants improve their educational opportunities and prepare them better for the work force.
This week, the state comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, estimated that the New York legislation would add less than $20 million in costs — less than 2 percent — to the largest state financial aid program, called the Tuition Assistance Program.
“A better-educated work force will benefit New York’s economy,” he said in a statement.
But opponents, mostly Republicans, said it was not appropriate to use public funds to assist illegal immigrants. Some opponents said illegal immigrants should not be able to obtain any tuition help, whether public or private.
“I do not support expanding eligibility for college scholarships to undocumented immigrants at the expense of immigrants who are lawfully in our country,” Senator Lee M. Zeldin, a Long Island Republican, said in a statement.
Assemblyman David DiPietro, a Republican from western New York, called the state Dream Act “preposterous.”
“Albany should not be doling out entitlement programs to lawbreakers, including those willfully violating federal laws,” he said in a statement. “The Dream Act is just another nightmare for New York State taxpayers.”
Supporters have been preparing a lobbying push, including door-to-door campaigning, phone calls and town-hall-style meetings in crucial districts, as well as visits to legislators’ offices.
“We’re at a critical moment,” said Javier H. Valdés, an executive director of Make the Road New York, an immigrants’ advocacy group that is part of a coalition spearheading the lobbying. “We need to ramp up the pressure.”
The supporters said the fate of the measure in the State Senate rests with two men: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, who represents a district that straddles the Bronx and Westchester County and is leader of the breakaway Democratic caucus.
Asked at a news conference this week whether public funds should be used for educational grants for illegal immigrants, Mr. Cuomo said, “I support the Dream Act in concept.”
But Mr. Cuomo added that the issue had not been “a topic of conversation” — a reference to end-of-session negotiations with legislative leaders.
Earlier this year, Mr. Klein, seeking backing from reluctant legislators, suggested financing the Tuition Assistance Program with a licensing fee on proposed new casinos. But many of the bill’s proponents have rejected Mr. Klein’s idea, saying that tuition assistance measures should not be tied to a casino initiative that, even if successful, could take years to come to fruition.
Mr. Klein said that while he supported the bill in its current form, he was pushing for a piecemeal approach to the legislation to ensure that some of its elements were adopted. But proponents are resisting such a strategy.
“In an ideal world, if we had the vote for the bill, I’d support it,” Mr. Klein said in an interview. “But I’m also a realist and I want to get it done, and I think we need to do a compromise approach.”
He said he wanted to redraft the bill to remove the Tuition Assistance Program but keep the privately financed scholarship program, as well as access to the tuition savings plan. That change would give lawmakers more time to figure out an additional financing stream for the Tuition Assistance Program, he said.
“I hope we can come together and negotiate a bill that gives these young people a chance to get a college education,” Mr. Klein said.Continue reading the main story
user
The text is a news article discussing the New York State Dream Act, a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to receive financial aid for college in New York. The article provides background on the bill, its potential economic impact, and the political debate surrounding it.

TYPE: NO_QUESTION