Posted on 08/31/2008 3:35:07 PM PDT by BGHater
A California bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses is one step closer to becoming a state law.
State senate bill 60 passed through the assembly Friday.
If the bill becomes law, legislators say the estimated 2.2 million undocumented immigrants in California will apply for one, an idea that's creating a lot of controversy.
"I think they should be able to get licenses just like everybody else," said Nicole Holland, a Fresnan who supports the bill.
"They are already committing a crime coming over here," said Albert Ratliff, a Fresnan who opposes the bill. "I don't think anybody deserves a license until they are a citizen."
Legislators said that debate is one reason why S.B. 60 hasn't passed into law.
Senator Gilbert Cedillo, (D-Los Angeles) Senate District 22, is the bill's author. He said he started working on it about 10 years ago.
"This isn't about immigrants, it's about highway safety," said Cedillo.
According to Cedillo's bill, about two million undocumented immigrants would be expected to apply for a driver's license within 18 months of it the law takes effect.
He said Governor Schwarzenegger needs to think about the whole picture, before he decides to sign or veto it.
"As the legislature, it's our job to make the roadways safe," said Cedillo.
"The reality is most people are going to drive whether they have a license or not because they need to work, the system is broken by not giving drivers licenses," said Camille Cook.
Cook is an immigration attorney. She pointed out there is another benefit to the bill, which is identifying the undocumented.
"It's better to know who they are," said Cook. "If they don't have licenses we have no idea who they are if they're not in the system."
And that's a benefit at least one Fresnan says is a good idea.
"I think it does make sense as long as they do a background check no D.U.I's and stuff," said Fresnan, Jose Navarrette.
For more information about the bill you can log onto Senator Cedillo's website. AddThis Social Bookmark Button
Another attorney. It’s time to get rid of them in state and federal congress positions.
Sickening
This is BS. They already have them and they are not forgeries. This whole “driver license” issue is just the camel’s nose under the tent flap. Once they get this done, the next step is to “fight” to get illegal aliens Social Security Account Numbers so they won’t have to “live in the shadows.”
Why does that sound so wrong?
I notice the writer was working hard to keep up the use of the term "undocumented immigrant" ~ too bad there's no such critter. You have to have an immigration visa to be an immigrant!
With motor-voter, they can also register to vote on the back of the DMV application. Democrat, of course, in time for the next election.
Is Arnold going to veto this nonsense?
Tennessee did this about 4 years ago... it didn’t last too long. The left said it would make the highways safer. Yeah right.
Once the driver’s license centers became corrupt with several workers selling id’s for cash and the massive influx of illegals from all over the country, the tide started turning. The dem gov, Bredeson, gave it one last college try and actually said in a press release that the state couldn’t afford to lose the revenue from the licenses! It died shortly thereafter.
Lying bass turd. It's NOT about highway safety. People with licenses crash everyday. THIS IS ABOUT MOTOR VOTER AND YOU KNOW IT PUNK!
Pure unadulterated dishonesty.
Highway safety my arse! This is about plucking revenue from an untapped source. How much in fees would the state collect?
Gil Cedillo has been at this for years as the article says. I remember a few years ago, he protested and killed off an amendment to his bill that would have put an identifying mark on a license issued to “undocumented” people. He was against doing that because he said it would be discriminatory. Yet if the goal was simply to make sure everyone took a driver’s test and had a license, you would think that a license with an identifier would be better than no license, right?
I wonder what Gil Cedillo thinks of the Calif. drivers licenses of today that have stamped on them, in big bold print, the year that someone turns age 21. That was done to make it clear how old someone is if asked for ID in a bar, to fight underage drinking. Certainly that is discriminatory against the under 21 crowd.
We need to fight One Bill Gil again on this and never give up.
Illegal immigration is killing us.
The liberal governor will probably sign it.
Man, we’re screwed.
All they have to do is hold out a few more months.
Any chance this will be brought up in the debates? I would love to know Obama’s and McCain’s Views on this.
OK - give them a license, then confiscate it and deport or arrest them.
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