Causa's benchmark achievement in Oregon!

I am very happy to announce that HB2787 this week was voted out of committee and voted for in the House of Representatives this Friday.

I was watching the Representatives on the floor during the vote for the passage of the bill. It was a very emotional moment as an undocumented student. While I will not benefit from the bill because Linfield is one of very few schools that offers in-state tuition to undocumented students, I know what it is like to dream of going to college but having barrier after barrier placed before you.

There were other students, organizations, and supporters present during the vote anxiously waiting to see what the final vote would be. We listened to the testimonies of Representatives who support and do not support the bill. Representative Dembrow was the person who pushed forward this bill and has been involved in the movement to give undocumented students a chance at their dreams. Tuition Equity has been attempted to pass in the legislature for 10 years now. I was very happy to see two Latino legislators on the floor, Representative Jessica Vega Pederson and Representative Joe Gallegos! Both of whom had very moving personal testimonies of the power a higher education has impacted them as first generation college graduates. I was especially touched by Representative Betty Komp's testimony in which she mentioned the value of immigrant labor and the friendships she developed with her workers during the hardest times of her life. I remember she said, " At one point, I didn't have anything to eat but they fed me". She said, "These immigrants took care of me, now it's our turn to take care of their children".

It was heartbreaking to see a son of an immigrant father testify and vote against the bill, but that's okay because the bill passed!!!! It was the best feeling in the world to see the final vote count on the screen: 38 votes in favor and 18 votes against. I joined the movement to advocate for the bill at a later stage, but I am so incredibly grateful to have been part of the struggle to make this bill a reality. Now, the bill will go to the Senate for a vote. We will continue to advocate for Tuition Equity until the day it is officially Oregon law!