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04-18-2008, 02:59 PM #1
Maine governor signs license bill
Maine governor signs license bill
By Glenn Adams
Associated Press Writer
April 18, 2008 2:05 PM
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci signed into law a bill to tighten standards for getting a Maine driver's license, acknowledging that it was a tough issue for lawmakers but saying they did the right thing to pass it.
Baldacci wasted little time putting his signature on the bill after the Senate approved it Thursday night.
With the bill's enactment, Maine joins 44 other states, including the rest of New England, in making legal presence a requirement for getting a driver's license, the governor said. It also helps ensure Mainers won't be put through extra security screening when they board airplanes or go to federal buildings.
"This was a difficult issue for many people in the Legislature," Baldacci said in a statement. "But we have done the right thing. The laws regarding Maine's driver's licenses have been too lax. The Legislature has put the best interest of our people first."
The bill was submitted by Baldacci under pressure from the federal government, which noted that Maine is among the few states that currently have no rules limiting licenses to legal U.S. residents.
A version of the bill reworked by the Transportation Committee called for 50 percent increases in the fees for driver's licenses, but they were cut out of the bill that was signed into law.
In addition to requiring legal presence, the law directs Maine's secretary of state to study the use of new technologies to reduce the risk of an applicant being issued more than one driver's license, and to develop a plan to use a federal database to verify immigration documents of applicants.
It also requires that state credentials issued to non-citizens who live in the United States legally expire at the same time as the applicant's authorized duration of stay.
The legislation passed as the federal Department of Homeland Security pressed Maine and other states to comply with the Real ID Act. Maine passed a law last year barring the secretary of state, whose office oversees motor vehicle regulations, from complying with Real ID.
Baldacci has sought to distance the newly enacted licensing law from Real ID mandates. In his bill-signing statement, he said the law "increases the security of our driver's licenses and fulfills my commitment to the Department of Homeland Security."
State Public Safety Commissioner Anne Jordan noted during a hearing on the legislation that it does not require the state to adopt any kind of federal identification card and "does not require Maine to participate in the Real ID Act."
But the Real ID Act was very mush part of the legislative debate over the driver's license bill and opponents see a direct link between Real ID and the new law.
Shenna Bellows, executive director of the Maine Civil Liberties Union, said questions are being raised about the constitutionality of the Real ID Act, and of a federal agency requiring a state legislature to pass legislation.
"The legal status requirements pushed on us by the feds violate our civil rights while doing nothing to make us any safer," said Bellows. "For (the Department of Homeland Security) to have singled out Maine in this way was an extraordinary abuse of power."
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04-18-2008, 03:03 PM #2
Whoo Hoo!
Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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04-18-2008, 03:03 PM #3
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Great News keep the presure on Alipacers another job well done!
WoW an Alipac cheerleaders what next!Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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04-19-2008, 02:13 PM #4
Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-3114--0-0.htmlSupport our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn
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04-19-2008, 02:21 PM #5Originally Posted by jimpaszJoin our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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04-19-2008, 02:36 PM #6
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Originally Posted by GogoJoin our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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04-19-2008, 02:55 PM #7Originally Posted by jimpaszJoin our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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04-19-2008, 10:50 PM #8
- Join Date
- Jan 1970
- Location
- Moscow on the Willamette, Oregon
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Help Oregon put teeth into the State's new "Semi-Secure" License Law and follow Maine's lead.
Oregonians For Immigration Reform (OFIR)
http://www.oregonir.org/
OFIR needs your help in collecting signatures to place the Respect for the Law Act on the November ballot!
Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR) is seeking to place the Respect for the Law Act (Oregon Initiative 112) on the November ballot. Recent independent polling shows 76 percent of respondents are in favor of this! You are invited to help make The Respect for Law Act a reality.
The deadline for turning in your signature sheet is July 1st.
The Respect for the Law Act has three main components:
It requires election officials to obtain satisfactory evidence of U.S. citizenship from any applicant who is registering to vote for the first time in Oregon.
It unties the hands of local police by allowing them to work directly with federal immigration authorities.
It requires proof of citizenship or legal status to qualify for an Oregon Driver license.
Voter Registration
Currently, no one checks to see if a first time voter registrant is a citizen. All an applicant does is just check a box on the form. The Secretary of State just "trusts" them to be lawful. Voting is too important to be left to chance. Only U.S. citizens should be voting in our elections.
Oregon Police working with federal immigration authorities
Currently ORS 181.850, " states that no law enforcement agency……shall use money or personnel for the purpose of detecting or apprehending persons whose only violation of the law is that they are ……(Illegally in the U.S.)" The Respect for Law initiative would supersede ORS 181.850 and would allow police to work with federal immigration agencies. The initiative would not require any police agency to work directly with federal immigration authorities; rather it would allow them to do so.
Driver's Licenses
In February the Oregon Legislature passed a good driver license bill, (Senate Bill 1080). SB 1080 requires proof of legal presence and a valid Social Security number in order to receive an Oregon driver license. One of the reasons for the passage of Senate Bill 1080 was the threat of the initiative. In essence one-third of the Respect for Law Act has now been put into law. The other two points, proof of citizenship and allowing local police to work with federal immigration authorities, also need to be enacted into law. Passage of the Respect for Law Act would accomplish that.
What You Can Do:
The deadline is July 1st for collecting the approximately 83,000 valid Oregon regsitered voter signatures needed to place the initiative on the ballot. OFIR is seeking at least 100,000 signatures in order to provide a cushion for the in validations that typically occur. Only Oregon registered voters may sign the petition.
You can now go to http://www.respectforlawact.com/ to read the initiative and down-load an E-Signature sheet. People who want to do more can get a 10-sheet petition by calling OFIR at (503) 435-0141 or e-mail them at o4ir@excite.com.
Signature sheets should be filled out and mailed to:
OFIR PAC
PO Box 1438
McMinnville, OR 97128
OFIR also is seeking volunteers and donations. Please contact us if you can help in this regard as well. Thank you.Check your credit report regularly, an illegal may be using your Social Security number.
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04-21-2008, 02:47 PM #9
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Mailing Address
Office of the Governor
#1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0001
Phone
207-287-3531
207-287-6548 (TTY)
http://maine.gov/governor/baldacci/cont ... views.html
Maine governor contact form for email
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04-21-2008, 03:06 PM #10AprilGuest
YAHOOOOOOOOO WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!
UNITED WE STAND!!! LETS KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK PATRIOTS!!! THANKS FOR YOUR DEDICATION!
Please take a moment to say thanks to the lawmakers!
Go to:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-112633.html
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