wnyt.com
Posted at: 10/04/2007 10:15:49 PM

By: John Allen

Driver's license issue may have political impact in November

ALBANY -- With so much opposition to the policy change with New York driver's licenses, some are wondering if the issue will hurt the governor's political future. The hot button issue of illegal immigrants had pretty much escaped New York state politics until now.
Governor Eliot Spitzer seems determined that driver's licenses for undocumented aliens will be a reality in the state despite the political ramifications.

"People are now playing politics with the issue and it is proving to be very divisive," says UAlbany political science professor Helen DesFosses.

DesFosses says she believes Governor Spitzer, when he says that his decision to issue undocumented immigrants New York state driver's licenses was not politically motivated.

"He said that political considerations played no part in this decision and that he was swayed by the morality and the ethics. But then from stage right come his political opponents saying we think this a politically very significant issue we're going to ride it as far as we can," she said.

DesFosses says republicans would like this to still be an issue not just in this November's election but next November when State Senate and State Assembly seats will be on the line.

A new political ad produced by the New York State Conservative Party on the issue was released on Thursday.

The ten second issue advertisement says "along the Mexican border we lock up illegal immigrants. In New York Governor Spitzer wants to give them driver's licenses. Tell Spitzer he's wrong."

DesFosses says many republican and conservative politicians believe in keeping with some of the most recent polls on the issue. This week, a Zogby poll showed that New Yorkers reject the governor's order for licenses for illegals by about 58% to 35%.

She says those numbers could backfire at the polls in 2008. Because the state legislature seats that are most vulnerable for incumbent republicans are in districts with very high populations of legal immigrants who democrats believe support the governor in this.

"So you could be in trouble. You may think republicans that you are going to ride this to victory but this in fact could endanger your very slim republican majority in the Senate," said DesFosses.

There are various scenarios that could play out in this controversial issue. Thursday a national immigrant's coalition said they support Governor Spitzer's move to allow illegal immigrants to get state driver's licenses.

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