The national DREAM Act, which would have created a path to permanent residency in the United State for some illegal immigrant college students, might have died in Congress last month.

But L.A. state Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, an L.A. Democrat, is reviving his own version of the California DREAM Act, which would allow those illegals who qualified to pay in-state tuition under a contentious 2001 state law to vie for Cal Grants and other financial aid available to middle- and lower-income Californians.

Free money for (gasp) illegal immigrants?

Yep. The kid who mows your lawn with his dad might just get a shot at some free taxpayer money — just like your kid who plays video games as the mower buzzes by. (Does anyone see any irony here?).

Say it ain't so!

Cedillo's last try at the California DREAM Act went down in flames more than two years ago when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it. He said he backed the idea but that the Golden State couldn't afford it.

(We thought we actually heard Arnold say “Ich bin ein wab,” or something like that, as he waived his veto pen anyway).

The qualified immigrants would make up less than one percent of the UC and Cal State student population. Still, Gov. Jerry Brown just announced $1 billion in proposed cuts for the Golden State's public universities as part of a scary budget plan.

Cedillo, who has made a career of getting his bills vetoed by the Governator (another would have allowed illegal immigrants obtain drivers licenses), sees some hope in the inauguration of Brown, who has indicated he might support this DREAM Act.

The lawmaker was scheduled to reintroduce the bill to the public Tuesday at 11 a.m. at L.A. City College.

So immigrant bashers — go there, tell it to the Gov. Don't write in the comments section how L.A. has turned into Mexico City. You've written it a thousand times before. (Okay, go ahead).

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