Thread: CALIFORNIA License bill goes to Assembly

CALIFORNIA
License bill goes to Assembly
Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau

Friday, June 3, 2005


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Sacramento -- A bill that would allow illegal immigrants to receive a license that is valid only for driving on California roads was approved Thursday by the state Senate.

Sen. Gil Cedillo's measure attempts to help the state comply with recently approved federal legislation and would create a two-tiered licensing system.

"Twenty-two million motorists take to California highways every day, and they have a right to know we are doing all we can to make those highways safe, " said Cedillo, a Los Angeles Democrat who has worked for years to overturn a California law denying immigrants the right to a license. "It is by our own action that prevented people from being licensed, tested and insured."

A new federal law will require states to, among other things, verify a person's legal residency status before issuing a license that can be used for federal identification purposes, such as boarding an airplane.

California will have to change its current licensing operations to comply with that law, known as the Real ID Act. But the bill approved Thursday, SB60, goes one step further by putting in place a system for illegal immigrants to get a license that is valid for driving only, something that is permitted but not required by the federal legislation.

Some object to the notion of giving rights to people who are in the state illegally.

"This is not about public safety -- it's about illegal immigration," said Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks (Ventura County). "The purpose of this measure is to make a very strong statement that it is official state policy to ignore our nation's immigration laws."

The Senate approved the measure 22-16, and the bill now goes to the Assembly. Sen. Mike Machado of Linden (San Joaquin County) was the lone Democrat to vote against the legislation.

While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't taken a position on the bill, his administration is concerned about moving forward before the federal government has had time to spell out how states are supposed to implement the law.

"It would be premature for California to pass a new law governing driver's licenses and similar documents, since the federal government is working on regulations that would very likely pre-empt anything California might do," said Vince Sollitto, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger.

But supporters insist the issue is safety for everyone on California's roads.

Sen. Richard Alarcón, D-Sun Valley (Los Angeles County), whose son was killed by an uninsured driver, said having more drivers with training and insurance is critical.

"It bothers me that people say this bill is not about public safety. Because if we do not give legal licenses and get people trained on how to drive and get them insured, Californians will die," he said.

In 2003, Gov. Gray Davis signed a Cedillo bill that allowed undocumented residents to obtain driver's licenses, but it was repealed by lawmakers after the recall election.

The federal law requires the license that is not valid for federal identification purposes to have distinctive features.

This being his fifth attempt in seven years to pass the bill, Cedillo admitted he's "a little tired of this bill."

"I'm tired but not less inspired and not less willing to make sure it gets done," he said.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f ... D2UE21.DTL

"This is not about public safety -- it's about illegal immigration," said Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks (Ventura County). "The purpose of this measure is to make a very strong statement that it is official state policy to ignore our nation's immigration laws."

That about sums it up. Too bad Tom did not beat out the terminated