Democrats in New York killed a proposal for tuition assistance for children of veterans killed in battle and instead approved a bill to give illegals free tuition.

The New York Republican Party slammed the Democrats on Twitter saying, “Democrats just rejected tuition assistance for Gold Star families but approved it for illegal immigrants. Would these Democrats dare to look into the eyes of the children of fallen servicemen and women and say they matter less than those here illegally?”

Democrats just rejected tuition assistance for Gold Star families but approved it for illegal immigrants. Would these Democrats dare to look into the eyes of the children of fallen servicemen and women and say they matter less than those here illegally? https://t.co/813LozC9hJ — New York GOP (@NewYorkGOP) April 11, 2019

Empire State Democrats quashed a bill on Tuesday that would have provided free tuition for Gold Star families that had lost a child killed in the line of duty in service to the country.

“The Assembly’s Higher Education Committee voted 15 to 11 to hold the bipartisan bill, effectively ending its chances of making it to a floor vote this session,” according to Syracuse.com.

But the move comes only a week after the same legislature passed a $175 billion state budget that contained $27 million to give free tuition to illegal aliens.

“It’s disgraceful,” Republican Assemblyman Gary Finch said after the Gold Star bill was shelved, “Soldiers who lay down their lives and make the ultimate sacrifice represent the best of us. The children they love so dearly deserve access to the opportunity and promise that is the hallmark of this country. I can’t imagine what’s in your heart when you vote ‘no’ on a bill like this.”

Republican Assemblyman Will Barclay slammed the Democrats for being petty and insisting that the Democrats killed the Gold Star tuition proposal merely because they didn’t want Steve Hawley, the Republican who introduced it, to get a win.

“We get so caught up in majority and minority issues here, we can’t see the forest through the trees,” Barclay said. “I don’t know how they don’t justify this.”

Barclay added that the number of students who would qualify for the tuition assistance would be few in number, especially compared to the number of illegals who will get free college.

Democrats refused to comment on the situation.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.