Thread: New Mexico driver's license law final vote Friday

New Mexico driver's license law to go to final vote tomorrow

by Milan Simonich \ Santa Fe Bureau
Posted: 03/03/2011 05:07:45 PM MST

SANTA FE - A bill to repeal the law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain New Mexico driver's licenses survived two House votes and nearly six hours of debate today.

It will go to a final vote Friday in the House of Representatives.

The sponsor, Rep. Andy Nunez of Hatch, predicted his proposal would carry with ease.

"We'll get more votes than we had today," said Nunez, an independent from Hatch.

Nunez said a number of legislators supported the bill, but were reluctant to vote for the extraordinary process that "blasted" it out of committees, straight to the full, 70-member House.

His bill advanced on two separate votes, both 36-34.

Two Democrats joined Nunez and all 33 Republicans in voting to move the bill to

NM CAPITOL REPORT
A view from the state capitol.

a vote of the House.
The Democrats who broke ranks to help Nunez were Dona Irwin of Deming and Sandra Jeff of Crownpoint.

"I vote my conscience and I vote for my district," Irwin said afterward.

Jeff on the House floor publicly said House Speaker Ben Lujan's chief of staff tried to intimidate her into voting to stop Nunez's bill. She asked for an apology from Lujan's aide, Regis Pecos.

Republicans throughout the day challenged Lujan's fairness and his rulings on procedural matters. Catcalls occasionally echoed through the chamber.

At one point, the 75-year-old House speaker banged his gavel, and in frustration asked Republican Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell to let him finish his sentence.

If Nunez wins Friday in the House, he faces what could be an even tougher battle in the Senate. Democrats hold the edge there, 24-18.

Gov. Susana Martinez supported Nunez's bill, but he said he drafted it before she ever was elected.

"This is an important issue in my district and in the state of New Mexico," he said.

The measure is HB 78.

Please see Friday's print edition for more details.

Santa Fe Bureau Chief Milan Simonich can be reached at msimonich@-tnmnp.com or 505-820-6898. His blog is at nmcapitolreport.com .

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_17532756

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Eddy County N.M. dumps drivers licenses for foreign nationals

Posted at: 03/03/2011 7:59 PM
By: Joe Bartels, KOB Eyewitness News 4

Eddy County commissioners have decided to stop issuing drivers licenses to foreign nationals and illegal immigrants.

They say it will cut down on fraud and long wait times at the county-run MVD office in Artesia.

Officials say, on average, the office was processing about 40 applications a month for foreign nationals, some of whom are illegal immigrants.

Each application took upwards of an hour to review and process.

Of the 40 applications, usually only three or four applicants could provide the necessary documentation to receive a license.

"It's been a topic that we've been discussing and regardless of what's going on in Santa Fe and the state legislature and the governor's office. This is an issue that we had to deal with and we feel it's in the best interest of Eddy County," explained Eddy County Commissioner Roxanne Lara.

County Officials say because the MVD office in Artesia is licensed and operated by Eddy County and not the state, they don't have to offer so-called optional services like drivers licenses for illegal immigrants.

The new policy goes into effect April 1.

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S200 ... ml?cat=504

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Eddy County N.M. dumps drivers licenses for foreign nationals

Eddy County commissioners have decided to stop issuing drivers licenses to foreign nationals and illegal immigrants.

They say it will cut down on fraud and long wait times at the county-run MVD office in Artesia.

OK, 'Bama & Co. won't act, so states will have to do it on their own. If we had a president who actually cared about Americans, this wouldn't be necessary.
************************************************** *********************************
Americans first in this magnificent county

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

congratulations to eddy county for doing the right thing

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