Thread: Immigration, license bill voted down on WA Senate

Immigration, license bill voted down on WA Senate

March 7, 2011

A Republican-led motion to bring a vote on a bill that would have restricted driver's licenses access to illegal immigrants and attempted to stop other identification fraud was defeated Monday in the Washington state Senate, dealing proponents of the measure a major defeat.

By MANUEL VALDES

Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. —
A Republican-led motion to bring a vote on a bill that would have restricted driver's licenses access to illegal immigrants and attempted to stop other identification fraud was defeated Monday in the Washington state Senate, dealing proponents of the measure a major defeat.

In a procedural motion, Republicans asked the Senate to consider the bill, which had not been brought to the floor by Democrats, who hold the majority and control of which bills get a vote.

But the motion failed 23-25 in the waning minutes of a deadline to vote on bills in their chambers of origin.

Among the no votes was chief sponsor Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, but she said that she will take the issue to the governor.

"Nothing is ever dead in the Legislature. I'm going to go talk to the governor," Haugen said. "I'd ask the governor that she needs to stand and take leadership in this role. She needs to recognize what's happening in this nation."

Washington state is one of two states in the country that still let illegal immigrants obtain driver's licenses. New Mexico is the other state that still allows such practice, but lawmakers there are also considering bills to close the access.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has said that if the Legislature passed a bill dealing with driver's licenses, she would sign it.

The bill would have required applicants for driver's license to provide proof of residency and a social security number. Supporters had said the bill aimed to stop identification fraud. Haugen said that there are 300,000 more driver's licenses in this state than there are drivers.

Opponents, though, had said that it would have led the illegal immigrant community to drive without licenses and car insurance. They also have said that the estimated cost of the bill - about $1.5 million in the next two-year budget - is too expensive in a year that the state faces a deficit.

After Monday's defeat, the bill appears dead. No other licenses bill received a vote on the House.

Monday's vote was the furthest a bill dealing with the driver's license issue has ever gotten in the Legislature.

Haugen, who is the chairwoman of the Senate transportation committee, said that for years she had stopped similar bills because she was worried about the impact on the farm industry, which has a significant number of illegal immigrants working using fake identification.



The Senator argued that her bill would have put restrictions on identification fraud by imposing stricter rules on state residency, adding that illegal immigrants currently in the state would have not been affected by the proposed law.

She said that she's concerned that if lawmakers don't act, an initiative will be approved in this state with stricter rules affecting farm workers. But attempts at such initiatives have failed in the last half a decade in the state, with organizers failing to get the signatures needed.

An attempt to ask Democratic Senate Floor Leader Sen. Tracey Eide why leadership did not support the bill, an aide said she had no time for questions. Through spokesman Jeff Reading, other Senate leadership also declined to comment.

Republican Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, said he was disappointed that the bill didn't get a vote, adding that he worries the state will attract more identification fraud.

"We're probably going to be the only state in the union without restrictions," King said.

Late last year, the Department of Licensing tightened rules around obtaining a license, requiring people who can't provide social securities to prove that they have state residency.

Craig Keller, organizer for Respect WA, the group that has pushed for initiatives with stricter immigration rules said that it was a shame that the bill didn't get a full vote.

"It was a start to bring some sanity to the driver's license issue," Keller said.

But Pramila Jayapal, executive director of OneAmerica, whose organization lobbied against the bill, said that state lawmakers are trying to fill the void left by the federal government's lack of action on immigration law, but that restricting driver's licenses does not address immigration issues.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

Great. More Democrats standing up for illegal alien invaders.

W

Gov. Chris Gregoire has said that if the Legislature passed a bill dealing with driver's licenses, she would sign it.

C'mon Chris. Your Dem buddy Governor Kulongoski went along with this change in Oregon. You can do it.

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Great. More Democrats standing up for illegal alien invaders.

W

They see them as undocumented Democrats!

This is disturbing. How do these jerks sleep at night.
Traitors. Don't bother bringing your worthless piece of ID / License
to A.Z. Washington state. Illegal means Illegal here! And you are Profiled,
E-Verified and if your illegally here in the U.S.A Arizona law enforcement will investigate, incarcerate, and deportate YOU!

We need to start compling a list of the state senators that are voting to keep the Illegals fat and happy. Can we start a "sticky" thread on this TS

added to homepage
http://www.alipac.us/article-6138--0-0.html

We have some seriously flawed representation in this country. It's truly amazing that anyone elected to represent AMERICAN citizens would be against this legislation. I cannot even wrap my mind around it; especially give the economic situation in this country at the moment. How could we have representatives who still insist on aiding and abetting those who entered this country in violation of our immigration laws? Why do illegal invaders need a driver’s license, so they can driver their anchor baby to school, or drive to that job they stole from an American citizen!

It's time to ban together and march to the doors of the white house. enough is enough1 what is it going to take to rein in these crooked criminal traitor politicians? Phone calls and emails are not cutting it, chances are they come out the fax straight into the shredder.

It has got to end and the only way is for about a million of us to show up on the front lawn at the white house demanding this problem be fixed NOW! NOT a year two years a decade but RIGHT NOW. Then start mass contacting the media .

Until we get out in full force and call them out in front of the world these snakes will continue trying to legalize criminals.

I've had it!

Affirmative action now 20 million mexican illegal immigrants plus the Somalians, Asians, etc

Bet money if it were a "20 million Caucasian Invasion" this clown in the white house would stop them from getting into the Us and putting minorities, illegals etc out of work, over running the schools requiring money for minorities to be spent on catering to Caucasians, at all cost..


Please wake up people. Even if you are loaded you wont be able keep it much longer at this rate, we will be so out numbered every stinking liberal bleeding heart will get exactly what they paid for!

Look around. It has got to end or we know in the end the US will be one great big cesspool, were crime runs rampant, quadruple the drugs and killings etc.

It will be a nightmare, look at what these people have done to their own countries.