Assembly Speaker Heastie pushes DREAM Act, higher ed

ALBANY – The new Assembly leader is backing a plan he says would make the state's higher-education system more accessible, his first major policy push as speaker.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie's plan centers on the DREAM Act, a long-debated bill to make state-level college tuition aid available to those in the country illegally. Heastie also called for expanding tuition-aid programs including the Tuition Assistance Program but it's unclear exactly how much of a boost the Bronx Democrat is backing and how it would be funded.

Heastie unveiled his plan Saturday at the state Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators' annual conference in Albany, where lawmakers and officials heard from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, legislative leaders and the keynote speaker, actor Danny Glover. Heastie's proposal comes as he enters his first budget negotiation with Cuomo and the Senate, who face a March 31 deadline to have a spending plan in place.

"In communities across the state, there are young men and women who live each day with the knowledge that the education they need to make their dreams a reality is beyond their reach," Heastie said. "It is unfortunate that in one of the most progressive states in the nation, an individual's path to success is still decided by how much education they can afford, if any at all."

Heastie, 47, was elevated to speaker Feb. 2, making him the first African-American to hold the Assembly's top post in its 237-year history. He replaced longtime Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, whose colleagues forced him to step down after he was arrested on federal corruption charges last month.

Education is always a major issue at the Capitol, but particularly so this year. Cuomo has proposed a $1.1 billion increase in state aid for school districts but only if lawmakers agree to a variety of reforms, including controversial measures to revamp the state's teacher evaluation and tenure systems.

The lead item in Heastie's plan, the DREAM Act, is opposed by Senate Republicans, some of whom campaigned against the bill in the 2014 elections.

"The voters have already spoken on this issue, and it's clear that they don't support giving free college tuition to people who are in this country illegally while hardworking, middle-class New Yorkers are forced to take out massive college loans that will take them years to repay," Senate GOP spokesman Scott Reif said.

Cuomo supports the DREAM Act and included it as part of his $142 billion budget proposal last month. But Cuomo's proposal is linked to the passage of a tax credit for residents who donate to schools — public or private. The credit is opposed by the state teachers union, a traditional ally of Assembly Democrats.

The rest of Heastie's plan focuses largely on higher education and its costs. Heastie called for letting state residents deduct student-loan interest from their New York income taxes, similar to what the federal government allows. He also wants to create more child-care centers at SUNY and CUNY schools, along with programs meant to ease the transition for college freshmen.

Blair Horner, legislative director of New York Public Interest Research Group, said his group has long supported expanding tuition aid and opportunity programs. NYPIRG, which has branches at various SUNY campuses, supports the DREAM Act, he said.

"What the speaker is talking about is a higher-education budget that is student friendly," Horner said. "We support college students."

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