---Nearly 30 percent of the signatures on a petition opposing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants are from registered Democrats, according to data released this afternoon from the State Board of Elections.
The data comes from the initial batch of 47,000 valid signatures turned in to the State Board of Elections last month. A second (and final batch) is due at the end of next week.
Republicans made up the majority of signers in all areas save one: Baltimore City, where 80 percent of voters are Democrats. There 56 percent of signers are Dems.
There were also large numbers of Democrats signing in Baltimore County (39%) and in Prince George's County (38 percent).
Organizers of the effort have long said that the new law generates anger from all parts of the political spectrum, though it passed in the General Assembly on a mostly party line vote.
Update 6/30 from The Baltimore Sun
The Republican-led group trying to repeal the controversial new state law granting new benefits to illegal immigrants reported that they've met their goal of 100,000 signatures opposing the law.
The group submitted 57,000 signatures last month and plan to turn in the balance this evening in Annapolis. So far, the State Board of Elections has determined that 47,000 of the signatures are valid. The group needs another 8,400 acceptable signatures to have the law put to voters in November 2012.
Supporters of the new law, which grants illegal immigrants in-state tuition at Maryland's colleges and universities, held a rally in Baltimore earlier today where they pledged a state-wide campaign supporting the measure.
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