Thread: Assembly Rejects Amendment to Rescind Spitzer's Driver's Lic

Assembly Rejects Amendment to Rescind Spitzer's Driver's License Plan
Karen DeWitt



ALBANY, NEW YORK (2007-10-23) Assembly Republicans tried to force Majority Party Democrats to vote on a bill to rescind Governor Spitzer's driver's license plan for undocumented immigrants, but Democrats ruled that the amendments were not relevant, and avoided a debate.

Assembly Republicans, who are out-numbered by Democrats 108 to 41, introduced a so-called hostile amendment, to try to force a vote to reverse Spitzer's plan to issue licenses to immigrants without social security numbers.

On the Assembly floor, Minority Leader Jim Tedisco, a Republican from Schenectady, said the governor's plan was "risky, reckless and irresponsible".

"By handing out driver's licenses to illegal aliens, the governor's unlawful plan would make us less safe," said Tedisco.

When Republicans introduce amendments, it's up to the Speaker of the house to rule whether or not the measure is germane to the bill that's being debated.

Republicans attached their amendment to a bill that would extend the sales tax for Suffolk County. Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene, a Democrat from the Bronx who presided as chair of the session, immediately rejected the amendment as "not germane".

The final vote, 85 to 57, was mostly along party lines though 16 Democrats did vote with the Republicans.

No Democrat spoke publicly in favor of the governor's plan.

"Unfortunately, the silence is deafening," said Republican Assemblyman James Conte, of Long Island.

Another amendment, which would protect county clerks who are refusing to carry out the Governor's plan, was similarly ruled not germane, and voted down.

The first ruling came even before Republicans had a chance to explain why they thought their amendment was related to the tax bill. Republicans accused Democrats of fixing the ruling in advance, because the Assembly Speaker, Sheldon Silver, is a backer of the governor's plan.

Speaker Silver says the Republicans are acting in too hasty a manner. Silver says the first phase of Spitzer's policy won't even be taking effect until December, so there's no hurry.

"This is a deliberative process," said Silver. "The minority is attempting to jumpstart and change the process."

The failure of the Assembly Republicans to advance their bill, which passed in the GOP dominated Senate, means the next step is likely the courthouse. Assemblyman Tedisco says he'll sue the governor if Spitzer proceeds with his plan, and the governor has said while he's open to talking about changes, he's not backing down.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wxxi/ ... ectionID=1

There is absolutely NOTHING to stop them from registering to vote and voting with a license. Since the license looks no different from other license, it will open the door to a host of govt. benefits, boarding an airplane and every other benefit that comes with a license.

As pointed out by Lou Dobbs, they will be able to take this license to another state and use it in the same manner. NY will be inundated with outsiders flocking to the DMV from all parts of the country. This gones far beyond NY and affects us all!

I hope NY'ers go berserk on the governer and stop this madness.

This is pathetic and I hope people all around the country see these Demacrates for what they are , they need to go down in 2008 or our country is going down!!



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10/23"DREAM ACT" UP AS A STAND ALONE BILL" HELP STOP NOW!!
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Assembly Democrats reject license vote

BY JOSEPH SPECTOR
Albany Bureau
Post Comment
Tuesday October 23, 2007

ALBANY - Democrats in the state Assembly rejected attempts by Assembly Republicans on Tuesday to call for a vote on Gov. Eliot Spitzer's controversial plan to offer drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said it would be premature to vote on the contentious issue.

"This is a deliberative process here. The minority is attempting to jump-start and change the process," Silver said before a special session at the state Capitol.

Assembly Republicans tried a variety of parliamentary tactics to prod the Democratic majority to take a vote on a bill that would require Social Security numbers or other identification to prove legal status in the U.S.

Spitzer's policy would allow illegal immigrants to show foreign passports and other documents to obtain drivers' licenses, no longer requiring Social Security numbers.

But the chamber voted 85-57 that the Republicans' attempt to attach their bill to the reauthorization of a sales-tax bill for Suffolk County was not germane. So the attempt failed, even though 17 Democrats -- including Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, D-Endwell -- voted with the GOP.

"I voted in favor of the amendment in order to reflect the concerns of my constituents who are not comfortable with the new driver's license policy," said Lupardo in a written statement. "My vote also sends a message that full public debate is needed on this issue."

The Republicans also failed to get votes on bills that would indemnify counties and county clerks if they are sued by the state for not following the policy and to increase the middle-class property tax rebate.

Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, ripped the Assembly for rejecting the bills, saying that a majority of New Yorkers in recent polls also oppose the governor's policy.

"The Democrats' reasoning - if you can call it that - for blocking our amendment was a sham, a farce, a joke," he said.

"Worse yet, it was a slap in the face to every single New Yorker who rejects Gov. Spitzer's risky, reckless and irresponsible plan."

So a special session that was initially billed as a way to give final passage to a host of issues devolved mainly into a debate on the drivers' license policy.

No agreements were reached on reforming the state's campaign-finance system, giving property-tax breaks to senior citizens, or providing about a $1 billion in state aid for economic-development projects across the state.

The Assembly recessed Tuesday afternoon, and there was no assurance that the Legislature would return before January.

On Monday night, the Senate held its own special session and voted to block the drivers'-license policy. Yet without Assembly support, the vote was merely symbolic.

The sides reached agreement on some issues, such as providing an increase in workers'-compensation benefits for paramedics and emergency medical technicians who responded to the 9/11.

They also agreed to extend the application deadline for the middle-class property tax rebate program from the end of November to Dec. 31.

But watchdog groups said the special session was largely unproductive and was more about political posturing for next year's elections, when all 212 seats of the Legislature will be on the ballot and with Republicans clinging to a two-seat majority in the Senate.

"This was disappointing on so many levels," said Barbara Bartoletti, legislative director for the League of Women Voters.

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs. ... /710230365

Session Stands Adjourned:
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 @ 5:15 PM

Session will reconvene at the call of the Speaker.
http://assembly.state.ny.us/av/

Damn, it looks like the Dems have saved Spitzer! We will call and verify in the morning.

W

As Lou Dobbs mentioned, this is all about votes. Not only do they know that illegals will be voting, they are blatantly enabling it. The rule of law has been supplanted by pandering and greed.

They are such FOOLs, they don't realize that for every illegal vote they pick-up, they will lose a 100 legitimate voters! These parties seem to think they can pander to these groups without any thought of losing any of their present base of supporters. Are they ever WRONG!!!