http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/ ... 348420.htm

Posted on Wed, Dec. 07, 2005

Drivers’ licenses for illegals proposed

Associated Press


INDIANAPOLIS – Undocumented immigrants in Indiana would receive a special driver’s license if they pass an exam and buy auto insurance under a new proposal.

State Rep. John Aguilera, D-East Chicago, said the licenses would not help people gain U.S. citizenship but would be more like a permit to grant driving rights to illegal immigrants.

“It should be framed as a public safety issue. That’s what we’re trying to impact here,� said Aguilera, the only Hispanic member of the General Assembly and chairman of the Indiana Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.

The commission plans to present the General Assembly with a detailed report on the issue next month.

A state permit would ensure that immigrant drivers have insurance and know the rules of the road, he said. It could make them less likely to leave accident scenes, he said.

Gov. Mitch Daniels said the issue of untrained, uninsured immigrant drivers needs to be addressed but stopped short of supporting permits.

“This is a problem every state is wrestling with. It needs, I think, to be addressed on multiple fronts,� Daniels said. “I think it can only go hand in hand with improvements in making sure the law is not being violated, and that people offered that permission are here legally.�