From the debate on a bill to allow children of immigrants who attend Connecticut high schools for four years and then graduate to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities - transcript of the Connecticut House of Representatives - May 17, 2007:

REP. ROLDAN: (4th)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I stand in complete support of the Amendment in question. I'd like to clarify some of the items that have been brought before us. These young men and women are in no way taking the place of others. These young men and women are being accepted totally on their merits.

They have to go through an application process just like everyone one else, and they have to be accepted on their merits. Connecticut is the state with the largest achievement gap in the country.

In the fourth grade, the difference in academic achievement between the state's poor and non-poor students is 3. 3 grade levels in reading and we have the largest of all the state's gaps, and as well as the second, in math for only, second only to a minority status. Excuse me.

I would also like to share with you, that if we look at the census, Connecticut state's population accounts for ten percent of total.

Yet, out of the total population that is 25 and over, 2. 5 million to be exact, there are only about 18,000 plus Hispanics that have a bachelor's degree. I would love to add another 200 young people every year to that number.

These students have beaten the odds by every measure, in particular when we take into account these statistics. Ladies and gentlemen, these young people will be contributing members to Connecticut's economy. We talk about a great deal of what we'd like to add to Connecticut's economy.

We talk about how we would like to get more young people to stay in the State of Connecticut and participate in that economy. This is a clear way to do it, ladies and gentlemen, and I urge passage of the Amendment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.