DREAM Act Opponents Near Petition Signature Goal

Opponents of the Dream Act are apparently within reach of the 55,736 signatures needed to bring it to voters as a referendum in the 2012 election.

According to the State Board of Elections, more than 41,000 signatures, — about 75 percent of the petition signatures required — have been validated, leaving petitioners about 14,500 shy of what is needed by the June 30 deadline. 

The Dream Act is a new law that enables undocumented high school graduates to pay in-state college tuition rates, though under certain provisions. The in-state tuition law will go into effect July 1. If 55,736 signatures are turned in by June 30, and validated, implementation of the new law will be suspended and the issue will be put to the voters in the 2012 general election.

The law’s passage has drawn opposition from some Republicans and Tea Party members, who launched the petition days after it passed in April.

“I have not experienced such unity among Maryland citizens on an issue since 9/11. It’s a new day in Maryland and the in-state tuition petition is leading the way,” said Brad Botwin, founder of Help Save Maryland, a Rockville-based group that’s been leading the petition efforts.

Del. Neil Parrott, a Republican from Washington County, Md., is one of two leaders spearheading the petition effort at MDPetitions.com. “We are working at an all-out sprint now to reach our goal of getting over 100,000 signatures by the end of June,” Parrott said.  

Advocates of in favor of the new law, including Casa de Maryland, an immigrants’ rights advocacy group, said they were initially unconcerned with the petition.

“We understand that people are attempting to collect signatures to put the vote to referendum. They have a difficult road to climb,” Casa de Maryland spokesperson Susana Flores said in early May. “We are not currently paying much attention to the effort but if they reach the end of May with a count that satisfies the statutory standard, we’ll take a second look.”

But tensions seem to be mounting.

Opponents of the Dream Act alleged a Casa community organizer Kim Propeack tried to keep people from signing the petition during Rockville’s Hometown Holidays event over Memorial Day weekend.

Propeack said she didn’t do anything wrong. 

“I attended the Hometown festival to provide accurate information to voters about the Maryland DREAM Act because the petitioners were misrepresenting its provisions and impacts,” Propeack said.  “I approached people and asked them to speak with me before [they] decided to sign.  I never blocked anyone from signing a petition.”