Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R,C,I,Ref-Ballston) was disappointed with the actions of her Assembly colleagues today, and feels the Legislature’s priorities have gone astray. Earlier this evening, the Assembly passed numerous bills aimed at obstructing the federal government, protecting illegal immigrants from deportation and creating a measure meant to give illegal aliens the same education benefits as legal residents.

“While in Albany, my goal each day is to create and pass legislation that benefits the taxpayers of my district and the State of New York,” said Walsh. “It is unfortunate that some of my colleagues have decided to use today as an opportunity to fulfill a political agenda and place the concerns of legal New York families by the wayside. We should be less focused on making the jobs of law enforcement agencies’ harder, and more focused on creating jobs and lowering this state’s enormous taxes.”

Legislation passed included the creation of free counsel and legal services for illegals and the DREAM Act, which makes illegal aliens eligible for college tuition assistance. In addition, another bill severely limits state and local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration law enforcement.

“There are thousands of New York families who are struggling to get by and send their children to college. These families should be the priority of any college tuition assistance legislation that is passed by the Assembly,” said Walsh. “Expanding assistance programs to illegal aliens also sends the wrong message to the families who immigrated here the right way. They went through the proper process and they should be the ones that enjoy the benefits of following our laws.

“I am not opposed to a pathway creating protocols and systems that will help these illegal aliens gain some sort of legal status, but we can’t be spending our valuable time during session arguing and passing legislation that opposes federal law and taxpayer interests,” Walsh said.