State Republicans have decided to direct outrage over the decision to admit illegal immigrants into the community colleges toward Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger and state Republican chairman Tom Fetzer have issued statements that seek to accuse Perdue of reversing herself on the issue.

"Despite her repeated claims that she opposes this policy, the Governor’s appointees voted nearly unanimously to enact the policy. This is yet another example of Gov. Perdue’s lack of leadership and peculiar priorities," Fetzer said in his statement.

Perdue says that not only has she not changed her mind, she has told the board members of her opposition to allowing undocumented students into the colleges. 

"Each individual board member clearly understood her views," said Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson.

Perdue appoints 10 of the board's 21 members. Earlier this week, another state agency, the Building Code Council, voted not to lessen a code requirement for a special circuit breaker after Perdue expressed support for the devices.

When asked if there would be consequences for the Community College board members who changed the policy, Pearson said, "The governor believes the consequences will occur when the General Assembly reconvenes." 

House Republican leader Paul Stam said the decision to admit illegal immigrants to community colleges ignores some costs state residents will have to bear.

Undocumented students would be denied financial aid and would have to pay out-of-state tuititon rates. Stam said a study of the financial burden of educating illegal immigrants was flawed. And Stam said the policy does not account for illegal immigratns who take unaccredited courses at taxpayer expense.

"This decision to admit illegal aliens to our community colleges is an affront to the people of our state who value the rule of law," Stam said. "The board has defied Governor [Beverly] Perdue and the majority of North Carolina citizens. We have no objection to those of other nations studying at our colleges, if they have a proper visa. But the state cannot ignore the law."

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick has weighed in on a decision by the State Board of Community Colleges to admit illegal immigrants.

"Someone needs to look up the meaning of the word 'illegal,'" the Charlotte Republican said in a news release. 

A board's ruling means that undocumented students would have to pay out-of-state tuition, be denied financial aid, and be enrolled in classes only after legal students are given slots.

The State Board of Community Colleges appeared to be headed for a unanimous vote this morning, as several members extolled the virtues of opening the doors to illegal immigrants.

But when the votes were cast, there was one quiet "nay" vote — from Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, who had been silent during the discussion, reports Kristin Collins.

After the vote, one of Dalton's staffers passed out a written statement to reporters. It said the colleges should focus their limited resources on helping laid-off workers get new training, not educating illegal immigrants.

"Now is not the time to increase the demands on our already overburdened community college system," Dalton, a Democrat, said in the statement.

Community college officials said that they expect allowing illegal immigrants to enroll at out-of-state rates, about $7,700 a year, to add fewer than 150 students to the current total of about 800,000.

Before the board meeting ended, Dalton made a quiet exit. While most of the reporters stood in the building lobby, community college staffers escorted Dalton to a staircase just outside the meeting chambers.

When Dome asked Dalton to elaborate on his no vote, he said, "I've got a statement," before disappearing into the stairwell.

Illegal immigrants will be allowed back into the state's community colleges.

All but one member of the the State Board of Community Colleges voted to allow them in at out-of-state tuition rates, Kristin Collins reports.

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, a Democrat, was the only board member to vote no on the matter.

Other board members said the policy puts them in line with the UNC system policy.

"The whole economic prosperity of the United States depends on the education of the next generation," said State Treasurer Janet Cowell.

A committee of the State Board of Community Colleges recommended Thursday that undocumented students be admitted to degree programs, but they would have to pay out-of-state tuition, be denied financial aid, and be enrolled in classes only after legal students are given slots.

The full board vote today caps nearly two years of controversy over whether to allow illegal immigrants to enroll in degree programs at the state's 58 community college campuses.

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger said that Gov. Beverly Perdue has reversed course in illegal immigration.

Berger was criticizing the State Board of Community Colleges' recommendation that would reverse a ban on illegal immigrants entering colleges.

"We all remember how, in the midst of her campaign, Governor Perdue made a public display of her commitment to keeping illegal aliens out of our community colleges even going so far as to ungraciously refer to her opponent as the 'Mayor of Tijuana' in campaign advertisements," Berger said. "Now that the election is over, she has reversed course on this issue and many others."

Perdue remains opposed to allowing illegal immigrants into college classrooms.

"She's made it very clear to the members of the board that she disagrees with this decision and her position has not changed," said spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson.

The governor appoints 10 of the board's 21 members.

And in her radio ads near the end of the campaign, a character suggested that Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory thought he was running for "Governor of Tijuana."

Update: Post now includes comment from Perdue's office.

North Carolina’s 58 community colleges should admit illegal immigrants, a committee of the State Board of Community Colleges decided today.

The full board will vote on a final policy Friday, after years of controversy over the issue, Kristin Collins reports.

The committee made the decision this afternoon as protesters waved flags and shouted through bullhorns on the sidewalk outside.

The recommended policy says that illegal immigrants must pay out-of-state tuition, which a study determined covers more than the cost of their instruction.

The policy also says that illegal immigrants must have graduated from a U.S. high school and are not eligible for financial aid.

And it says that students who are legally present will take priority over illegal immigrants if spaces in a class are limited.

Dr. Stuart Fountain, head of the policy committee that made the recommendation, said the out-of-state tuition requirement will keep the numbers of illegal immigrant students small. Out-of-state tuition is about $7,700 per semester, compared with $1,600 for in-state students.

Fountain said the new policy would "provide an opportunity for an education for people who are very determined."

The State Board of Community Colleges will consider this week whether to admit illegal immigrants to the state's 58 community colleges.

The board's policy committee will meet this afternoon and the full board could vote tomorrow on the controversial issue. Protesters may be on hand.

In June, the policy committee agreed to draft a policy that would allow the admission of illegal immigrants who graduate from U.S. high schools – the same policy used by the UNC system.

The students would be admitted only as out-of-state students, meaning they would have to pay the higher, out-of-state rates. The annual cost would be $7,000, and would be a barrier to many students.

If the board approves the policy, it would reverse a ban on the admission of illegal immigrants that has been in effect for about a year.

The House and Senate each selected two men to serve on the state Board of Community Colleges.

The House selected K. Ray Bailey, a former president of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and Sam Powell, a commercial developer from Burlington. They are replacing Anita Powers of Wallace and Jim Daniels of Asheville.

The Senate reappointed current board vice-chairman Linwood Powell, a former dean and interim president at Fayetteville Technical Community College. The Senate also appointed James Woody Jr. of Roxboro, the environmental manager for Ready Mixed Concrete Company. Woody will replace Anne-Marie Knighton of Edenton.

The board governs the state community college system. The House and Senate each appoint four members of the board.

The board seats are unpaid positions.

Gov. Beverly Perdue has named the co-chairs of her budget reform panel.

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland and Norris Tolson will lead the Budget Reform and Accountability Commission, an outside commission that will recommend ways to cut state spending. 

Perdue said she wants the commission to conduct "a detailed review" of the current state budget to look for inefficient spending and come up with suggested cuts and consolidations.

"I expect my BRAC team to root out wasteful and unnecessary spending, hold government accountable for its appropriations and help ensure taxpayers are not funding ineffective or unsuccessful programs," Perdue said in a statement.

Pinnix-Ragland is chairwoman of the State Board of Community Colleges and holds an MBA in accounting. Tolson is president and CEO of the N.C. Biotechnology Center and previously served as secretary of commerce, transportation and revenue.

Both served on Perdue's gubernatorial transition team.