Minnesota state legislators recently passed the Drivers License for All bill (HF 4), which could pave the way for undocumented immigrants to get valid drivers licenses. Secretary of State Bill Galvin turns down 20% pay raise. Those seeking a license must present at least two documents. 109. Wakeman worked in 2021 on a trio of ballot question campaigns, including one seeking a statewide voter identification law, that fell short of collecting enough signatures to remain in the mix. City hopes state legislature boosts shelter aid. If passed into law, immigrants would qualify for a Massachusetts standard driver's license if they presented valid proof of identity, date of birth and state residency. It's ironing out the intraparty disagreements that often proves tougher, and more time-consuming. Our streets will be safer for everyone when all drivers have passed road tests, and vehicles are registered and insured," a letter from 19 mayors and town managers supporting the bill read in part. Republican candidate Geoff Diehl said he would support a ballot question to repeal the legislation, according to statement from his campaign. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), The MBTA is being sued for the 2021 Green Line crash. No. The bill creates two categories of drivers licenses and non-driver identification cards: federally-compliant REAL ID, which is only available for documented residents, and the Standard Basic drivers license and ID, which will be available to all New Jersey residents regardless of immigration status. Mass illegal immigration is what you wanted Sign up for the newsletter to receive periodic updates on Cato research, events, and publications. Baker's Driver's License Bill Veto. Lawmakers have long considered drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. "There's a ton of policies and procedures and training that will have to be done across the registry to actually pull this off, and there's no one who works for the registry currently who knows what any of these foreign documents look like or how to determine their validity," he said. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, The civil rights memorials that expose America's ugly history and warn of repeating the past, Boston Public Radio full show: March 1, 2023, No 'magic sleep button:' Separating sleep misinformation from facts on YouTube, Finding resilience in Black love, through good times and bad, At least 36 are dead in Greece after two trains collided. This is a well-vetted piece of legislation. Once the law is fully implemented, new drivers are likely to spend $62 million on car insurance policies. Lawmakers voted this week to override his veto of a bill that will allow illegal immigrants in the state to apply for a driver's license. The Massachusetts State Senate will debate whether undocumented immigrants should be able to get drivers licenses in formal session Thursday morning. Massachusetts voters narrowly approved a law that allows those in the U.S. illegally to obtain a drivers license. Further, newly-licensed drivers are likely to generate an additional $5 million per year in tax revenue once the law is fully rolled out. Sixteen other states already have laws on the books allowing undocumented immigrants to acquire licenses, Crighton told his colleagues. "It sends the wrong message," Frost said. "It is unnecessary because we are just focused on the ability of someone to drive.". You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Migrants have faced a warm welcome but major challenges, like housing and education. Market data provided by Factset. |News
Baker vetoed the bill on May 27, saying the Registry of Motor Vehicles did not have the capacity to verify the identities of immigrants without legal status and arguing that the bill "significantly increases the risk that noncitizens will be registered to vote.". She was a reporter for CommonWealth Magazine, and senior immigration reporter for Law360. Now dip your toe in the water for two bucks $2 for two months. Over the course of Thursday's debate, senators beat back attempts by Republicans and a handful of Democrats to distinguish the licenses that could be awarded to undocumented immigrants, either by offering them entirely separate "driver privilege cards" or by requiring a standard Massachusetts license issued to an immigrant without legal status to be printed in a different color or declare that it is not eligible as a form of identification. GOP state committee member Debby Dugan of Watertown expressed similar concerns, and she also said that such a bill is enacted, it would lead to more illegal immigration. MASSACHUSETTS The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday that would allow undocumented immigrants to get state driver's licenses. the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2023, and could help an estimated 78,000 people in Massachusetts apply for a standard Massachusetts drivers license, With respect to our Congressional delegation, whos fighting the good fight, do we really think that Congress is going to find consensus on meaningful immigration reform anytime soon?. Legislative leaders who steered the long-debated bill through the House and Senate said they have some worries about the prospect of a statewide campaign on the topic. To put the question of whether the law should be repealed on the November ballot, petitioners will need to collect at least 40,120 signatures from registered voters, no more than 10,030 of which can come from a single county, in less than three months. Please join us as we make a difference in the lives of newcomers. Proponents said the measure will improve road safety and assuage immigrants worries of being revealed as undocumented and face deportation because of a routine traffic stop or accident. Its why 16 states and the District of Columbia already allow immigrants without legal status to get a drivers license if they meet certain conditions. A bill that would make undocumented immigrants eligible for Massachusetts driver's licenses, appears poised for passage this week after more than 20 years in the making. State Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) said that he sympathizes with those who fear deportation because they frequently drive illegally because their immigration status prevents them from getting a drivers license from the state. WebThe state offers 2 types of licenses, 1 of which complies with the REAL ID law for those who can provide proof of lawful presence. Market data provided by Factset. As of 2016, there are about 250,000 undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts, according to a report from the American Immigration Council. Even Baker, who argued that allowing immigrants without legal status to apply for standard driver's licenses could spiral into ineligible residents registering to vote, accepted that he was fighting a losing battle. Charlie House lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the bill, which passed by a 120-36 vote. Minnesota state legislators recently passed the Drivers License for All bill (HF 4), which could pave the way for undocumented immigrants to get valid drivers licenses. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. It is unnecessary because we are just focused on the ability of someone to drive.. A Boston Globe-Suffolk University poll of 800 Massachusetts residents published in the spring showed residents were divided on the issue. "It basically means, in some respects, the Registry is going to be flying blind with respect to what it issues when it issues these licenses. They will also have to provide one of five additional documents: a drivers license from another U.S. state or territory; a birth certificate; a foreign national identification card; a foreign drivers license; or a marriage certificate or divorce decree from any U.S. state or territory. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. At My Undocumented Life we provide up-to-date information and resources for undocumented immigrants and allies.
House Democrats in Massachusetts have passed a controversial measure that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. The MIRA Coalition firmly opposes any and all efforts to repeal the Work and Family Mobility Act, said Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, in a call with GBH. Critics contend it could have negative impacts on public safety and could threaten the electoral process. Driver's Licenses, ID Cards Being Replaced After Printer Mishap, Mass. I dont support drivers licenses for people who are undocumented, Baker said during a 2014 GBH debate. It will also make it possible for immigrants and refugees to go about their lives with more peace of mind, Sweet said. Opponents of undocumented drivers license bill point to potential for illegal voting. With the passing of the law, Massachusetts joins 16 other states and Washington D.C., that have similar laws. But for How Long? Allowing parents to drive their kids to school, take them to doctors appointments or be in charge of carpooling to take their kids to soccer, all without the concern they may be separated if they are pulled over, will allow children of undocumented immigrants to breathe and have a sigh of relief, Sen. Adam Gomez, a Springfield Democrat and one of the bills main sponsors, told the news service. We have far more important problems to fix, Kropper said. Both of those ways of casting ballots proved popular and mostly successful as temporary measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, improving voter access despite threats posed by the virus. State law allows petitioners to bring forth a referendum to strike a newly enacted law if they collect, in this case, 40,120 signatures from Massachusetts voters, of which no more than 10,030 could come from one county, within 90 days after its passage. House Republicans unsuccessfully pushed a similar amendment during their debate on the bill, which Baker described as a "perfectly reasonable way to deal with this. The bill may look simple, but the issue, as we know, is complicated, said Democratic state Rep. William Straus, co-chair of the Legislatures Joint Committee on Transportation. At least one document must contain a photograph. The conference committee that took months to produce an accord agreed to give prospective voters 10 more days before an election to register, but they opted against a Senate-approved policy allowing new voters to register and cast a ballot in one trip to the polls. Baker in the past has voiced support for broader voting by mail, and he signed both the temporary law and extensions to it during the public health crisis. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. "There were a lot of people who wanted to put a January 1 implementation date on this, and he said 'no, there's no way the state could possibly be ready to do this in January,' and he made it in July," Baker said. New to NewBostonPost? The state House and Senate both overwhelmingly approved the bill earlier this year, but Baker vetoed it on May 27. Stay up to date with everything Boston. The bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to get a driver's license in Massachusetts will now become law. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "I don't see this the same way the House and the Senate see it," Baker said Monday. Many argue that we should let the federal government do its job when it comes to immigration reform. May 30, 2022 Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has vetoed a bill that would allow immigrants without legal status to get driver's licenses. The bill would also make it less likely for immigrants to leave the scene of an accident because they would face less of a threat of deportation with a drivers license, backers said. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. And that's basically and fundamentally what this bill is. WebLutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a champion for all uprooted people. Immigration reform advocates and some public safety leaders have pressed, often loudly, for more than a decade to grant residents without legal status in the U.S. some form of access to driver's licenses. Both Democratic candidates, Maura Healey and Sonia Chang-Daz, have voiced their support for the veto override. A bill that would make undocumented immigrants eligible for drivers licenses has cleared its first major hurdle, with House members passing it with a veto-proof 120-36 majority. House Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, bill sponsors Reps. Christine Barber and Tricia Farley-Bouvier, and Sens. Fanghua Guangyuan Electronics Co., Ltd.
In a 120 to 36 vote, the With your support, GBH will continue to innovate, inspire and connect through reporting you value that meets todays moments. Allowing undocumented immigrants to get around more easily would allow them to increase their earning potential and employers right now are having trouble recruiting qualified workers amid a time of record low unemployment in the state. ", The gubernatorial candidate told business leaders she is among those concerned about the statewide housing shortage and the high costs of living, two days before the man she hopes to succeed in the corner office delivered a similar message dubbing the lack of available and affordable housing an "existential threat.". Forty-seven percent said they opposed the drivers license bill, and 46 percent supported it, with 7 percent unsure. Senate Democrats are We fully support submitting this question to the people to give them a direct say in their future," Diehl said Thursday without making clear. Support GBH. Huanhua Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou,Guangdong (P.R.China). They made their voices heard on Wednesday afternoon. Fattman said local elections officials in his district had contacted him expressing concerns about the topic, and bill backers fired back that the state already has protections in place to prevent ineligible residents from registering to vote. This article was updated to include additional comments. Five Democrats joined the chamber's three Republicans in dissent, but backers still got more than enough favorable votes on record to signal the Senate would clear the two-thirds vote needed to override a potential veto. We always have," Baker told the crowd at a New England Council event. The new law will allow immigrants without legal status to apply for a standard state drivers license beginning July 1, 2023. UL/ CUL Constant Volatge LED Power Supply, UL/ CUL Constant Current LED Power Supply, Room 8055, 5th floor. The state Senate voted 32-8 despite Baker's objection and a day after the House voted 119-36 on the same measure, dubbed the Work and Family Mobility Act. Thats bad policy. Geoff Diehl, a gubernatorial candidate for the state Republican Party, told media in a statement last week, this is a bad bill, and said he would support efforts to overturn in a ballot initiative. View All Newsletters. The votes were there to pass the bill and Democrats in both branches flexed their political muscles in a 24-hour span to cement the licensing bill as law by clearing the two thirds hurdle needed for a veto override. The House voted 11936 on Wednesday to override the veto. Charlie Baker, who has opposed similar legislation in the past. The increase is "problematic for Massachusetts and for our country," said Commissioner Margret Cooke. Charlie Baker. "Trying to ensure our driver's licenses have integrity and cannot be misused for various purposes those are important things, and those things don't go away because of the hardships we've heard about," Tarr added. 109. All rights reserved. The state House passed a similar bill by a veto-proof 120-36 margin in February. "And everyone deserves to feel safe and get to work, pick up children and be a part of their communities without fear. Skeptics and opponents of the bill should look to the experience of the 16 states that have already adopted similar measures, said Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, a Springfield Democrat and son of immigrants. Their bills to accomplish that never surfaced for floor votes, but legislative leaders kept the conversations going behind closed doors. We couldn't do it without you. Opponents of a new law that will allow immigrants without legal status to seek driver's licenses took a preliminary step Monday toward asking voters to scrap the measure, while Democrats celebrated their success in pushing the bill and overcoming Gov. Nineteen states have laws in place that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a drivers license, including Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Washington. How legitimate are those concerns? The original version of the bill was introduced almost 20 years ago, and multiple iterations have cropped up and failed, including one from then-state Rep. Marty Walsh in 2007, who is now the U.S. Secretary of Labor. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File), The Massachusetts State House in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios Massachusetts is on track to become the 17th state to allow immigrants without legal status to obtain state-issued driver's licenses nearly two decades after the proposal first emerged. By, Advocates push for Mass. A No vote on the question would repeal the law (H.4805) that is scheduled to make illegal immigrants eligible to obtain drivers licenses starting on July 1, 2023. Gomez called concerns that the bill would unleash voter fraud a "red herring.". 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Former acting ICE director Tom Homan explains how President Biden's border strategy is enticing more illegal immigration and voices concerns with ICE's new policy to consider migrants' military service. DUTIES. A bill to allow undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses in Massachusetts is all but law Thursday, passing the Senate with a large enough margin to overrule a veto from Gov. Under the new law, someone in the country illegally would have to provide a passport or consular identification document to apply for a driver's license. Oversee budget development for new programs within RIS and update budgets for existing programs. or redistributed. Rep. Christine Barber, a Somerville Democrat who refiled the bill, said people need access to drivers licenses more during the pandemic as they work essential jobs Report on 2014 legislation shows most domestic workers don't get basic rights and employers aren't trying to comply. Proponents of the bill have touted it as beneficial for road safety, the news service reported, asserting that the approximately 185,000 undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts would be tested before driving. The intention would be to put the question to voters on the November 2022 ballot. Two conference committees kicked off their work this week, one tasked with resolving major differences between House and Senate sports betting bills and the other assigned with producing a final annual state budget. Immigrants are being squeezed under kitchen tables, into church basements and into shelters, they say. But youve found it. A second kind of identification could include an unexpired drivers license from any US state or territory, a birth certificate, a valid unexpired foreign national identification card or foreign drivers license, or a marriage certificate issued in Massachusetts. Nick Collins of Boston, Anne Gobi of Spencer, Marc Pacheco of Taunton, Walter Timilty of Milton, and John Velis of Westfield voted against the bill, joining the Senates three Republicans, SHNS reported. He also said the bill restricts the registrys ability to share citizenship information with those entities responsible for ensuring only citizens register for and vote in our election.. The governor said at the time that the legislation would create problems for the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which he said lacks the expertise to verify the types of identification immigrants use from other countries, a requirement of the bill. House lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the bill, which passed by a 120-36 vote. Here's what we know. New to NewBostonPost? The bill would open up access to the former license type, which cannot be used to board a flight or access a federal building, regardless of immigration status. Migrants have faced a warm welcome but major challenges, like housing and education. However, for right now and today, I am looking forward to the ceremonial bill-signing," Senate President Karen Spilka told reporters about half an hour before gathering with other lawmakers, union leaders and activists for a "bill signing" ceremony in the State Library, across the building from the governor's office. "It's never easy to collect signatures. The Massachusetts House on Wednesday voted to override the governor's veto of the driver's license bill. Charlie Baker's opposition. Join us. Zip code: 510375
Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. House lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the bill, which passed by a 120-36 vote. Copyright2022 HongmeiCo.,Ltd.Allrightsreserved. Wakeman said the campaign is still working to collect the initial 10 signatures required to launch a referendum campaign. The formal legislative session ends July 31. House and Senate leaders will need to agree on final language to send to Baker's desk, which they could try to do informally senators previously said the changes they made before bringing the proposal to the floor were technical in nature or by appointing a conference committee. Opponents of undocumented drivers license bill point to potential for illegal voting. Secretary of State William Galvin has publicly refuted that claim. WebMIRA is proud to be part of the Driving Families Forward Coalition, which is advocating for the Work and Family Mobility Act). A drivers license allows people to get to work, but also allows people to get to the doctor and make sure their health care needs are being met, Barber said during the hearing Wednesday, June 23. She's covered politics, immigration, incarceration, and health for The Guardian, DigBoston, The Boston Globe, and The Associated Press. This is a concrete step the Commonwealth could take to improve the daily lives of immigrants.. "We can't have this in here. bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses, Pandemic Renews Debate Over Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Workers, Licensed Undocumented Immigrants May Lead To Safer Roads, Connecticut Finds. The Driving Families Forward coalition, which includes a range of civil rights, immigration reform and organized labor groups, praised the Senate's vote and called for Baker to sign the legislation, arguing it "provides all the safeguards necessary to answer any doubts he may has (sic) raised previously. She said she wants to leave the measure up to the voters, citing the Globe-Suffolk University poll. State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) painted it as a pro-business bill. Its treasurer will be Kevin Dube of North Andover, according to the form submitted to OCPF. "I'm not throwing stones, (but) I filed legislation three years ago, before the pandemic, to significantly shift investments in primary care, addiction services, behavioral health and gerontology because we underfund those things. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. WebMIRA is proud to be part of the Driving Families Forward Coalition, which is advocating for the Work and Family Mobility Act). Of Boston Utah, Oregon and Washington will also make it possible for immigrants allies. Without fear state Senator Adam gomez ( D-Springfield ) painted license for illegal immigrants in ma update as a pro-business bill for immigrants and.. 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