Thread: Nebraska lawmakers pass bill allowing licenses to immigrants

Nebraska lawmakers pass bill allowing licenses to immigrants

Posted: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 3:02 pm | Updated: 3:34 pm, Wed Apr 13, 2016.
Associated Press |

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Young immigrants who entered the country illegally but were granted lawful status could qualify for professional and commercial licenses under a bill approved by Nebraska lawmakers on Wednesday.

Senators passed the measure with a 33-11 vote, enough support to override a likely veto by Gov. Pete Ricketts.


Supporters say that the youths should have access to the licenses so they can work in professions such as teaching and nursing. The bill would apply to youths who came or were brought to the country illegally, but received lawful status under President Barack Obama's executive action allowing them to stay in the country.

The bill has won support from an array of business and religious groups, the Nebraska Cattlemen Association and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert. It would apply to more than 170 professions, from electricians and pharmacists to tattoo artists and mixed martial artists.

"It's a common sense workforce development proposal to keep educated and skilled residents in Nebraska," said Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha, the measure's sponsor.

Mello said he introduced the bill after learning that many undocumented youth in the Omaha area were getting trained in the medical field and then taking their skills to Iowa because they couldn't get licensed in Nebraska.

Many states don't specifically prevent the youth from getting professional licenses, he said, but a 2009 state law prohibits Nebraska from granting "benefits" to anyone who has entered the country illegally. Under Nebraska law, benefits include state-issued commercial and professional licenses.

Nebraska had nearly 5,200 youths who could be affected by the legislation as of December, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The policy announced by President Barack Obama in 2012, gives certain youths a Social Security number, a two-year work permit and protection from deportation. It applies to people who are at least 15 years old, arrived in the U.S. before their 16th birthday, were under 31 in 2012, have lived continuously in the U.S. since 2007 and are in school or working toward a degree.

Ricketts said the bill is too broad and is unfair to immigrants who followed the legal process to establish residency. In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, the governor said it would also grant licenses to asylum seekers and people with temporary protected status, including those from countries such as Somalia, Syria, and Yemen where terrorists are known to congregate.

Mello said both types of immigrants are forced to undergo a rigorous federal screening before they are granted the status.

Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion, a conservative Republican, said the state shouldn't reward the children of people who came to the country illegally, even though the federal government granted them legal status.

"I just don't think it's our job," Kintner said. "We didn't cause the problem. We shouldn't have to fix the problem. We should put the pressure on the federal government to fix the problem that they created, perpetuated and have failed to do anything about."

Florida and Illinois have already passed laws allowing deferred-action youths to receive law licenses. California allows professional and vocational licenses for anyone with an individual taxpayer identification number, regardless of immigration status.

Advocates for the youth cheered Wednesday's vote.

Passing the bill "is a great step forward for Nebraska because we all have much to gain from the skills, talent and hard work of the young people who could obtain professional licenses," said Darcy Tromanhauser, who works on immigration issues for the group Nebraska Appleseed.

Last year, Nebraska became the nation's last state to extend driving privileges to those who were allowed to stay in the U.S. under Obama's program. Ricketts opposed that measure as well, but senators overrode his veto.

http://www.theindependent.com/news/s...97e21148e.html

Nebraska Gov. Ricketts to veto immigrant job licensing bill

UPDATED 12:21 PM CDT Apr 16, 2016
sold fake Taylor Swift concert tickets ordered LINCOLN, Neb. —Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts will veto a bill that would allow immigrants granted temporary lawful status after coming to the country illegally to work in more than 170 professions.

• NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS PASS SWEEPING IMMIGRANT LICENSES BILL
  
  
  Young immigrants who entered the country illegally but were granted lawful status could qualify for more than 100 professional and commercial licenses under a bill approved by Nebraska lawmakers.
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[Video: Nebraska Gov. Ricketts to veto immigrant job licensing bill]

The Republican governor's announcement Friday sets the stage for a veto override vote in the Legislature next week. Lawmakers approved the measure 33-11, enough support to overrule Ricketts.

"The unfairness and injustice here is stunning and that is why I am vetoing this bill," Ricketts said.

The bill would allow certain immigrants to receive professional licenses in health care, education and a variety of other fields.

It would apply to youths who came or were brought into the country illegally, but received lawful status under President Barack Obama's executive action allowing them to stay in the country. Nebraska had nearly 5,200 youths with deferred-action status.

http://www.ketv.com/news/nebraska-go...-bill/39048796

Nebraska OKs professional licenses for certain immigrants

• By GRANT SCHULTE
• 9 min ago

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers overrode their Republican governor's veto on Wednesday to approve a law allowing certain immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children to work in health care, education and dozens of other professions that require state licenses.

Senators took the vote on the last day of their legislative session, five days after Gov. Pete Ricketts vetoed the plan and called it unfair to immigrants who followed the established citizenship process. Loud applause erupted following the 31-13 vote.

The new law applies to immigrants who received lawful status under President Barack Obama's executive action in 2012 that allowed them to stay.

Nebraska had nearly 5,200 youths who qualified as of December, according to the latest data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Supporters touted the Nebraska plan as a way to fill jobs in a state with low unemployment and a worker shortage in manufacturing and other fields.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha, said the law's intent is to keep educated youth in Nebraska so they can contribute to the economy. Mello said he introduced the bill after learning that some immigrant youths in the Omaha area were training in medical fields and then taking their skills to Iowa because they couldn't get licensed in Nebraska.

The legislation won support from an array of business and religious groups, the Nebraska Cattlemen Association and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert. The new law applies to at least 170 professions, from electricians and pharmacists to tattoo artists and mixed martial artists.

Obama's 2012 deferred-action policy applies to people who are at least 15 years old, arrived in the U.S. before their 16th birthday, were under 31 in 2012, have lived continuously in the U.S. since 2007 and are in school or working toward a degree. The policy gives those individuals a Social Security number, a two-year work permit and protection from deportation.

Nebraska has fought various aspects of the policy. Last year, it became the nation's last state to extend driving privileges to immigrants who were allowed to stay in the U.S. under Obama's program. Ricketts opposed that measure as well, but senators overrode his veto.

Other states also have already approved changes for professional licensing, including Florida, which enacted a law in 2014 that allows law licenses for youths who were brought to the U.S. as a minor, have work authorization and have lived in the country for more than 10 years. Illinois passed a similar measure last year, and Nevada approved a law to allow teaching licenses for deferred-action youths.

http://pilotonline.com/news/nation-w...5990ab941.html