State Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, introduced SB 1160 as a way to save a spot in this year's legislative calendar for passage of a new law patterned after SB 60 -- but only when Cedillo negotiates the details with Schwarzenegger. Cedillo authored SB 60 in September. Sticking points in the talks include whether a license would be available to all residents, regardless of their legal status, whether the licenses would have a different look than those held by legal residents and how to conduct background checks on undocumented applicants. They would also talk about ways to strengthen insurance requirements.
Dan Savage, Cedillo's chief of staff, said Cedillo plans to add amendments to the short, two-paragraph bill as the negotiations move on.
"We'll introduce a bill in its entirely when we reach an agreement," Savage said. "... The governor has been very clear that we're going to be driven by content and not be driven by speed."
Representatives from Schwarzenegger's office did not return phone calls by press time. The governor convinced Cedillo to support the demise of SB 60 In November, telling him that he would work on ways to devise a new bill that satisfied his concerns about security issues.
Activist group pushes new legislation allowing illegal immigrants the right to drive
napanews (FR link) | February 5, 2004 | DAVID RYAN
