Email from OFIR today, looks good for this Senate Bill to start making it hard to drive while being illegal in Oregon!

OFIR members and supporters:

Yesterday in the Senate Transportation Committee, OFIR testified in favor of the passage of SB 424, a bill that would require the Oregon DMV to have all driver license applicants show proof of citizenship and a verified Social Security number. The meeting room was filled with so many people that they had to open up a second room. Many OFIR members testified in support.

Testifying in opposition was the ACLU, AARP and PCUN. Their arguments in opposition ranged from "it is too expensive, it would not prevent terrorists from getting licenses, driver licenses only attest to a driving document and SB 424 is racist."


Our opposition completely ignored the fact that illegal aliens use our driver license as tool to distribute methamphetamine, commit identity theft, drive drunk, receive government benefits and greatly increase the threat of terrorism.

We believe the outlook for passage of the bill is good. Senator Rick Metsger, the Chair of the committee, put in an amendment that separated out the requirement that Oregon DMV would have to approve all of the rules of the REAL ID Act. That amendment is logical because the federal government has not yet announced all of the administrative rules and there is no way the state can know the cost or what the final requirements of the act will be. The good news is that SB 424 will continue to have the requirement that the ODMV will have to have all driver license applicants show proof of citizenship and a verifiable Social Security Number. That has been our goal all along. The amendment should increase the odds of passage. Senators Rick Metsger and Senator Bruce Starr should be praised for their work on the bill.

Please call the committee members in support of SB 424.

Senate Transportation Committee

Rick Metsger, Chair. (503) 986-1726

Bruce Starr, Vice-chair (503) 986-1715

Ryan Deckert (503) 986-1714

Larry George (503) 986-1713

Laurie Monnes Anderson (503) 986-1725