$50 Million in Aid for Amnesty Applicants Approved by Senate
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SACRAMENTO — The state Senate on Monday approved legislation to provide an additional $50 million to continue English and civics classes for those seeking citizenship under the 1986 amnesty program.
A 32-4 vote sent the bill by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) to the Assembly for further consideration.
One of the requirements imposed on the amnesty program by Congress is that those people seeking citizenship successfully complete a minimum of 40 hours of instruction in English and civics.
Money for the classes is coming from the federal government under the amnesty program, which offered citizenship to illegal aliens who could establish that they took up continuous residency in this country prior to Jan. 1, 1982.
The problem is that Gov. George Deukmejian has allocated the money over a five-year period, and the amount allocated for the current budget year is insufficient. State schools Supt. Bill Honig estimates the shortage at $50 million.
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