Chances slim for current form of illegal license bill

Posted at: 03/10/2011 7:59 PM | Updated at: 03/10/2011 8:24 PM
By: Stuart Dyson, KOB Eyewitness News 4

Lawmakers in the New Mexico House of Representatives who fought to ban driver's licenses for illegal immigrants say there's not much chance they will go along with big changes approved in the state Senate early Thursday morning.

House members who voted to stop issuing those licenses tell KOB Eyewitness News 4 the Senate didn't just water down the bill; they gutted it and pulled its teeth out.

The Senate changed the bill to allow illegal immigrants to keep on getting licenses, but they would have to prove they have been living in the state for at least six months, and get fingerprinted, and the licenses would be good for only two years. There would also be tougher penalties for those who fraudulently obtain licenses.

"It's no good," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Andy Nunez, an independent from Hatch. "Even if we did get it out of here and get it up to the governor, she wouldn't sign it, because it's bad. I mean, it didn't change anything. They can still come and get their driver's licenses."

He's not alone. House Minority Leader Tom Taylor, a Farmington Republican, said he expects both Republicans and Democrats who supported the bill to reject it in its current form.

"Those of us that sent that bill over there did a lot of good work to get that into the shape we did when we sent it to the Senate," Rep. Taylor said. "I would imagine that we will not concur with the Senate changes to the bill."

Governor Susana Martinez calls the bill in its current form a "sham," an "insult to the intelligence," and "unacceptable." Many lawmakers suspect that translates into "veto."

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S201 ... ml?cat=504