Plan to grant driver licenses to illegal immigrants moves ahead
SACRAMENTO — After gutting most anti-fraud and security safeguards, Assembly Democrats pushed through politically charged legislation Tuesday that would give illegal immigrants the right to obtain driver licenses.
The 44-30 vote sends the measure to the Senate, where passage is far from assured. Senators had applied the brakes earlier, balking over costs, security and a new fingerprinting system.
Sen. Gil Cedillo, a Los Angeles Democrat carrying the bill, said he is confident that recent amendments will satisfy wavering Democrats. Cedillo said he plans to ask for a Senate vote as early as today.
In the Assembly, impassioned lawmakers rehashed many of the arguments pro and con in a drawn-out debate over the course of nearly three hours.
Opponents invoked the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and supporters the memory of immigrants who gave their lives in the war against Iraq but who could not legally drive in California.
Waving his plane ticket used to get to Sacramento, Assemblyman Russ Bogh, R-Beaumont, said passing the law tells terrorists “if you want to drive a plane into a building we’ll help you.”
Charges flew over whether Gov. Gray Davis’ abrupt about-face on the issue was driven by the need to woo Latino voters heading into the Oct. 7 recall election. Davis twice vetoed similar legislation, citing security flaws.
“Now they will be insured. They will be tested. They will be competent. Their names and addresses will be in the computer. All of that is a step forward,” Davis said last week in defending his support for the bill, SB 60.
At times the debate turned nasty. Democrats insinuated that Republicans are anti-immigrant, working to deny those who toil in the fields, wash dishes or clean office buildings the ability to legally drive to work or take their children to school.
“Timothy McVeigh was a terrorist and he had a driver’s license,” said Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes, D-Fresno, referring to the executed Oklahoma City bomber.
“Let’s get serious. It is about dignity.”
Republicans retaliated, implying that Democrats were trading public safety for Latino votes.
Background checks and additional anti-fraud steps were eliminated from the bill, they noted.
“This will say, ‘Our borders are open. Come one, come all,’ ” said Assemblyman Jay La Suer, R-La Mesa.
Said Tony Strickland, R-Moorpark, “We’re creating a law for those who break the law.”
Democrats insist the bill will assure that those who qualify would be tested and also could obtain insurance — making the roads safer for all.
Late revisions to the measure scratched efforts to require all motorists to renew licenses in person rather than by mail so the state could secure a new fingerprint.
A costly high-tech fingerprint system called biometrics, which some say is unreliable, also was dumped.
Under the legislation, which would go into effect Jan. 1, applicants would need to provide a taxpayer identification number to prove they are working in California.
Also, applicants would need to show two of the following forms of identification: a consular-issued card, a passport or a birth certificate.
Cedillo said as many as 1.2 million illegal immigrants in California are old enough to drive.
The South Bay delegation — Democrats George Nakano of Torrance, Alan Lowenthal of San Pedro and Jerome Horton of Inglewood — supported the bill.
Jenny Oropeza, D-Carson, was absent.
Publish Date:September 3, 2003
http://www.dailybreeze.com/content/news/nmdriver3.html
Ok, this kind of news makes me extremely mad California is pushing through a bill, with Gray Davis' blessing, to relax the requirements to get a drivers license and thereby allowing illegal immigrants to get a regular California drivers license. It was voted 44-30 yesterday and is now an official law. Why should California let illegal immigrants able to get drivers licenses in California? It's stupid! What's wrong with the picture? It requires only a Taxpayers Identification Number, which is easily obtained by anyone who doesn't have a Social Security number, and one other form of identification, which includes the Metricula Consular card issued by the Mexican government, which is deemed unsecure and unreliable by the US Department of Homeland Security. This opens a whole new door to terrorists into the U.S. since California *cough**cough* (democrats) *cough* passed the law. Assemblyman Russ Bogh, R-Beaumont, said passing the law tells terrorists “if you want to drive a plane into a building we’ll help you.”, which is exactly what California is doing. It's also stating to every illegal immigrant to come on over across the California border and get a free California drivers license under any name you'd like. What makes it even worse is that now we, the people of California, can't even even take a plane trip or vacation anywhere in the U.S. to another state because the other 49 states will now refuse any California drivers liscense as an ID card at the airport because they don't know if it's a terrorist or not. What do you guys think about this? I say, we vote Arnold in and let him cancel the law so it will stop occuring. I'm not racist or prejudice in any way, but why have illegals come into our country and get a drivers license in California, with no obligation, and open the door to terrorists? Right now, I'm ashamed of even living in California, now that this new law has passed.
SACRAMENTO — After gutting most anti-fraud and security safeguards, Assembly Democrats pushed through politically charged legislation Tuesday that would give illegal immigrants the right to obtain driver licenses.
The 44-30 vote sends the measure to the Senate, where passage is far from assured. Senators had applied the brakes earlier, balking over costs, security and a new fingerprinting system.
Sen. Gil Cedillo, a Los Angeles Democrat carrying the bill, said he is confident that recent amendments will satisfy wavering Democrats. Cedillo said he plans to ask for a Senate vote as early as today.
In the Assembly, impassioned lawmakers rehashed many of the arguments pro and con in a drawn-out debate over the course of nearly three hours.
Opponents invoked the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and supporters the memory of immigrants who gave their lives in the war against Iraq but who could not legally drive in California.
Waving his plane ticket used to get to Sacramento, Assemblyman Russ Bogh, R-Beaumont, said passing the law tells terrorists “if you want to drive a plane into a building we’ll help you.”
Charges flew over whether Gov. Gray Davis’ abrupt about-face on the issue was driven by the need to woo Latino voters heading into the Oct. 7 recall election. Davis twice vetoed similar legislation, citing security flaws.
“Now they will be insured. They will be tested. They will be competent. Their names and addresses will be in the computer. All of that is a step forward,” Davis said last week in defending his support for the bill, SB 60.
At times the debate turned nasty. Democrats insinuated that Republicans are anti-immigrant, working to deny those who toil in the fields, wash dishes or clean office buildings the ability to legally drive to work or take their children to school.
“Timothy McVeigh was a terrorist and he had a driver’s license,” said Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes, D-Fresno, referring to the executed Oklahoma City bomber.
“Let’s get serious. It is about dignity.”
Republicans retaliated, implying that Democrats were trading public safety for Latino votes.
Background checks and additional anti-fraud steps were eliminated from the bill, they noted.
“This will say, ‘Our borders are open. Come one, come all,’ ” said Assemblyman Jay La Suer, R-La Mesa.
Said Tony Strickland, R-Moorpark, “We’re creating a law for those who break the law.”
Democrats insist the bill will assure that those who qualify would be tested and also could obtain insurance — making the roads safer for all.
Late revisions to the measure scratched efforts to require all motorists to renew licenses in person rather than by mail so the state could secure a new fingerprint.
A costly high-tech fingerprint system called biometrics, which some say is unreliable, also was dumped.
Under the legislation, which would go into effect Jan. 1, applicants would need to provide a taxpayer identification number to prove they are working in California.
Also, applicants would need to show two of the following forms of identification: a consular-issued card, a passport or a birth certificate.
Cedillo said as many as 1.2 million illegal immigrants in California are old enough to drive.
The South Bay delegation — Democrats George Nakano of Torrance, Alan Lowenthal of San Pedro and Jerome Horton of Inglewood — supported the bill.
Jenny Oropeza, D-Carson, was absent.
Publish Date:September 3, 2003
http://www.dailybreeze.com/content/news/nmdriver3.html
Ok, this kind of news makes me extremely mad California is pushing through a bill, with Gray Davis' blessing, to relax the requirements to get a drivers license and thereby allowing illegal immigrants to get a regular California drivers license. It was voted 44-30 yesterday and is now an official law. Why should California let illegal immigrants able to get drivers licenses in California? It's stupid! What's wrong with the picture? It requires only a Taxpayers Identification Number, which is easily obtained by anyone who doesn't have a Social Security number, and one other form of identification, which includes the Metricula Consular card issued by the Mexican government, which is deemed unsecure and unreliable by the US Department of Homeland Security. This opens a whole new door to terrorists into the U.S. since California *cough**cough* (democrats) *cough* passed the law. Assemblyman Russ Bogh, R-Beaumont, said passing the law tells terrorists “if you want to drive a plane into a building we’ll help you.”, which is exactly what California is doing. It's also stating to every illegal immigrant to come on over across the California border and get a free California drivers license under any name you'd like. What makes it even worse is that now we, the people of California, can't even even take a plane trip or vacation anywhere in the U.S. to another state because the other 49 states will now refuse any California drivers liscense as an ID card at the airport because they don't know if it's a terrorist or not. What do you guys think about this? I say, we vote Arnold in and let him cancel the law so it will stop occuring. I'm not racist or prejudice in any way, but why have illegals come into our country and get a drivers license in California, with no obligation, and open the door to terrorists? Right now, I'm ashamed of even living in California, now that this new law has passed.
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