Tel: +86 20 81608506, Home Rep. Christine Barber, a Somerville Democrat who refiled the bill, said people need access to drivers licenses more during the pandemic as they work essential jobs Before the bill becomes law, representatives from the House and Senate must reconcile the different language between the two bills, and then it must be signed by Gov. Legislators have several more steps to complete before the bill can become state law. When Sen. William Brownsberger read out the final result, attendees in the Senate gallery erupted into applause and cheers some shouting "thank you" loud enough to prompt Brownsberger to bang the gavel and ask them to quiet down. State Representative Christine Barber (D-Somerville) was among those who cited economic reasons for giving drivers licenses to illegals. ", Chris Doughty, who is also running for governor as a Republican, circulated a petition on his campaign website in the wake of the override slamming the move and calling for voters to "tell the Legislature right now that you are AGAINST this decision.". Under the new law, someone in the country illegally would have to provide a passport or consular identification document to apply for a driver's license. House Democrats in Massachusetts have passed a controversial measure that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. As of 2016, there are about 250,000 undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts, according to a report from the American Immigration Council. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. For people with disabilities needing assistance with the Public Files, contact Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268. The conference committee that took months to produce an accord agreed to give prospective voters 10 more days before an election to register, but they opted against a Senate-approved policy allowing new voters to register and cast a ballot in one trip to the polls. Rep. Paul Frost, a Republican from Auburn, said it would encourage immigrants to come to Massachusetts without trying to obtain legal status. BOSTON People living in the U.S. illegally would To apply for a standard license under the new bill, an undocumented immigrant would need to show the RMV a foreign passport or a consular identification document, as well as a drivers license from another state, a foreign drivers license, a birth certificate, a foreign national ID card, or a marriage certificate from any U.S. territory. "That was never really on the table here in Massachusetts," he said. However, for right now and today, I am looking forward to the ceremonial bill-signing," Senate President Karen Spilka told reporters about half an hour before gathering with other lawmakers, union leaders and activists for a "bill signing" ceremony in the State Library, across the building from the governor's office. State Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) said that he sympathizes with those who fear deportation because they frequently drive illegally because their immigration status prevents them from getting a drivers license from the state. UL/ CUL Constant Volatge LED Power Supply, UL/ CUL Constant Current LED Power Supply, Room 8055, 5th floor. Charlie Bakers veto. Sixteen other states already have laws on the books allowing undocumented immigrants to acquire licenses, Crighton told his colleagues. Bill sponsor Sen. Brendan Crighton, a Lynn Democrat, argued against this compromise, according to SHNS, saying it would prevent undocumented immigrants from testing for a license, which would go against the point of the bill. He also said the bill restricts the registrys ability to share citizenship information with those entities responsible for ensuring only citizens register for and vote in our election.. The bill creates two categories of drivers licenses and non-driver identification cards: federally-compliant REAL ID, which is only available for documented residents, and the Standard Basic drivers license and ID, which will be available to all New Jersey residents regardless of immigration status. Sixteen other states already allow undocumented immigrants to acquire licenses. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. It prohibits the Registry of Motor Vehicles from asking about or keeping documents related to immigration status. It now moves to the Democrat-controlled Senate for approval, and then to Gov. Charlie Baker, who has opposed similar legislation in the past. The measure is about being safe on the road, according to Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. She said she wants to leave the measure up to the voters, citing the Globe-Suffolk University poll. So many people who have testified today other than the last two, their only concern was for the people who have come into our country without permission not for American citizens, Dugan said. At least 16 states, including Connecticut and Vermont, allow residents to get a drivers license or permit regardless of immigration status, supporters say. Nineteen states have laws in place that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a drivers license, including Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Washington. House Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, bill sponsors Reps. Christine Barber and Tricia Farley-Bouvier, and Sens. Listen 5:50 Regional News Rep. Richard Neal supports driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts Alden Bourne , May 9, 2022 All rights reserved, Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter, Mass. Massachusetts to allow illegal immigrants to apply for drivers Secretary of State William Galvin has publicly refuted that claim. By, Advocates push for Mass. One amendment, offered by Fattman, would have required the RMV to transmit licensing information to any city or town clerk seeking to verify the identity of someone using a license to register to vote. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, The civil rights memorials that expose America's ugly history and warn of repeating the past, Boston Public Radio full show: March 1, 2023, No 'magic sleep button:' Separating sleep misinformation from facts on YouTube, Finding resilience in Black love, through good times and bad, At least 36 are dead in Greece after two trains collided. "Leah and I will not sit by idly and watch the consequences of this bill take away the safety and democratic rights of Massachusetts residents. Nick Collins of Boston, Anne Gobi of Spencer, Marc Pacheco of Taunton, Walter Timilty of Milton, and John Velis of Westfield voted against the bill, joining the Senates three Republicans, SHNS reported. The bill, however, didnt gain Senate Appropriations Committee approval, which was needed because of the BMVs estimated $1.4 million cost to develop the new license. Please join us as we make a difference in the lives of newcomers. Proponents said the measure will improve road safety and assuage immigrants worries of being revealed as undocumented and face deportation because of a routine traffic stop or accident. The Massachusetts State Senate will debate whether undocumented immigrants should be able to get drivers licenses in formal session Thursday morning. This bill would enable all qualified state residents to apply for a standard state drivers license, regardless of immigrant status, while keeping our Commonwealth in full compliance with REAL ID requirements. Despite the overwhelming support from the Legislature, Massachusetts residents are split on allowing undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses, a recent poll showed. The state House and Senate both overwhelmingly approved the bill earlier this year, but Baker vetoed it on May 27. Congestion pricing and other traffic mitigation options are back on the table. They made their voices heard on Wednesday afternoon. Granting drivers licenses to illegal immigration is the wrong approach, he said. New to NewBostonPost? WebThe state offers 2 types of licenses, 1 of which complies with the REAL ID law for those who can provide proof of lawful presence. We sat down with the chiefs and asked what their concerns were and worked with them. Ninety-two representatives and 16 senators face neither a declared primary nor a general election opponent, essentially granting them a pleasant stroll into another two years in office with next to no campaigning required, no need to answer to their opponents, and none of those candidate debates and Q&A forums. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Road safety and immigration reform advocates spent years unsuccessfully pressing lawmakers to act, arguing that expanding license access would ensure undocumented immigrants who already live in Massachusetts are properly tested before getting on the road and rein in their fears of law enforcement entanglement. Charlie Baker delivers his state of the state address Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in the House Chamber at the Statehouse, in Boston. The new law will allow immigrants without legal status to apply for a standard state drivers license beginning July 1, 2023. the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2023, and could help an estimated 78,000 people in Massachusetts apply for a standard Massachusetts drivers license, Stay up to date with everything Boston. McCraw said that Asian Americans were targeted in hopes of finding "look-a-likes" for undocumented immigrants of Asian descent. Lawmakers voted this week to override his veto of a bill that will allow illegal immigrants in the state to apply for a driver's license. Mass. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! Other states like California, New York and Utah already do the same. And it puts tremendous pressure on cities and towns to do the cleanup on the back end.. Opponents of undocumented drivers license bill point to potential for illegal voting. She's covered politics, immigration, incarceration, and health for The Guardian, DigBoston, The Boston Globe, and The Associated Press. It prohibits the Registry of Motor Vehicles Legislatures considering extending driver’s licenses to unauthorized immigrants debate such potential Ensure that financial reports are prepared according to LIRS, PRM and ORR requirements. Senate Democrats are also hoping for a two-thirds majority vote. Previous research by The Pew Charitable Trusts examined the decisions that 10 states and the District of Columbia made when designing and implementing their laws to issue driver’s licenses to unauthorized immigrants. Critics of the measure have argued that drivers licenses are a privilege that should not be offered to those not in the country legally. Baker's Driver's License Bill Veto. The bill would not register undocumented immigrants to vote. GOP state committee member Debby Dugan of Watertown expressed similar concerns, and she also said that such a bill is enacted, it would lead to more illegal immigration. However, the opposition felt as though it may benefit big business at the expense of the American worker. |Contact Us. The House voted 119-36 and the Senate voted 32-8 to override Baker's veto and make the measure law. And that's basically and fundamentally what this bill is. Its treasurer will be Kevin Dube of North Andover, according to the form submitted to OCPF. "Without a license, a routine traffic stop can have a lasting and traumatic set of repercussions: arrest, ICE detention, deportation. The bill provides illegal immigrants the opportunity to obtain a drivers license in the Commonwealth starting in July 2023. Proponents of the bill have touted it as beneficial for road safety, the news service reported, asserting that the approximately 185,000 undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts would be tested before driving. By Jasper Goodman Updated June 23, 2021, 5:25 p.m. House Democrats in Massachusetts have passed a controversial measure that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. Bill sponsor Sen. Brendan Crighton, a Lynn Democrat, contended that bifurcating licenses awarded to immigrants without legal status and all other licenses could have a "chilling effect" on the bill's goal to get more drivers road tested. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. This is a well-vetted piece of legislation. New to NewBostonPost? Minnesota state legislators recently passed the Drivers License for All bill (HF 4), which could pave the way for undocumented immigrants to get valid drivers licenses. Surely, we shouldnt have to rely on Charlie Baker, a Republican, and my former junior high classmate, to veto a measure that harms those at the bottom of the economic ladder.. That surplus-bound outlook is, well, pick your description from the latest batch offered this week: "rosy," as Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation President Eileen McAnneny put it; "absolutely unprecedented," in the words of MTF's Executive Vice President Doug Howgate; or "just crazy," as Baker told business leaders. "The legislature has now resoundingly supported the Work and Family Mobility Act, moving all state residents toward greater road safety, improved security, better public health and a more vibrant economy, and promising a profound transformation in the lives of undocumented immigrants across the Commonwealth.". Further, newly-licensed drivers are likely to generate an additional $5 million per year in tax revenue once the law is fully rolled out. On Thursday, Crighton said, On the issue of voting, weve debunked it again and again, and again.. In November, voters in Massachusetts will decide on rejecting a state law that allows illegal immigrants to obtain a drivers license. The final vote in the Senate was 328 to approve the bill over Baker's objection. Former acting ICE director Tom Homan explains how President Biden's border strategy is enticing more illegal immigration and voices concerns with ICE's new policy to consider migrants' military service. Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com. How legitimate are those concerns? It's ironing out the intraparty disagreements that often proves tougher, and more time-consuming. A Suffolk University-Boston Globe poll of 800 Massachusetts residents published Monday found that 46.6% of residents oppose the measure, while 46.1% support it. If passed into law, Massachusetts would join 16 other states and the District of Columbia which already have similar laws. The ability to apply for a drivers license is the number one issue for immigrant families, Barber added. The bill would open up access to the former license type, which cannot be used to board a flight or access a federal building, regardless of immigration status. Charlie Baker. The bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to get a driver's license in Massachusetts will now become law. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, The civil rights memorials that expose America's ugly history and warn of repeating the past, Boston Public Radio full show: March 1, 2023, No 'magic sleep button:' Separating sleep misinformation from facts on YouTube, Finding resilience in Black love, through good times and bad, At least 36 are dead in Greece after two trains collided. A second kind of identification could include an unexpired drivers license from any US state or territory, a birth certificate, a valid unexpired foreign national identification card or foreign drivers license, or a marriage certificate issued in Massachusetts. A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll of Massachusetts residents conducted in April found a nearly even split of support and opposition for the licensing idea, an uneasy balance that could get tilted one way or the other once prospective campaigns begin flooding the public sphere. "I don't see this the same way the House and the Senate see it," Baker said Monday. While GOP lawmakers are not on board, there's a chance Democrats will need to take fewer steps to finalize the elections reform bill than they did the licensing law. Allowing undocumented immigrants in Connecticut to obtain driver's licenses may have reduced hit-and-run crashes in the state. MA Mobile Sports Betting Start Time Set Ahead Of March Madness, Free MA Community College Outlined In Gov's Budget. "That's democracy.". The 120-36 vote means the bill won the support of more than two-thirds of lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House enough to override a potential veto by Baker. All rights reserved, 53K Mass. This bill would enable all qualified state residents to apply for a standard state drivers license, regardless of immigrant status, while keeping our Commonwealth in full compliance with REAL ID requirements. Ensure that financial reports are prepared according to LIRS, PRM and ORR requirements. With the passing of the law, Massachusetts joins 16 other states and Washington D.C., that have similar laws. Wakeman said the campaign is still working to collect the initial 10 signatures required to launch a referendum campaign. Currently, thirteen states and the District of Columbia have made a major investment in highway and public safety by allowing undocumented residents to apply for limited-purpose license and Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. If passed into law, immigrants would qualify for a Massachusetts standard Lawmakers voted this week to override his veto of a bill that will allow illegal immigrants in the state to apply for a driver's license. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. The title of both bills An Act Relative To Work and Family Mobility During and Subsequent to the COVID-19 Emergency doesnt mention either drivers licenses or illegal immigrants. Both of those ways of casting ballots proved popular and mostly successful as temporary measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, improving voter access despite threats posed by the virus. "They changed the argument, they changed the debate -- you changed the debate," Mariano said, referring to advocates in the audience, "and made it into a public safety issue. The Massachusetts House passed a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses in the state in February by a margin that would override a veto as well, according to SHNS. Geoff Diehl, a gubernatorial candidate for the state Republican Party, told media in a statement last week, this is a bad bill, and said he would support efforts to overturn in a ballot initiative. To apply for a drivers license, immigrants will have to show two documents proving their date of birth and identity, like an unexpired foreign passport, consular Lenny Mirra-vs.-Kristin Kassner State Rep Race One of Several Massachusetts Elections Decided By One Vote, ) before the Joint Committee on Transportation. "Allowing parents to drive their kids to school, take them to doctor's appointments or be in charge of carpooling to take their kids to soccer, all without the concern they may be separated if they are pulled over, will allow children of undocumented immigrants to breath and have a sigh of relief," said Sen. Adam Gomez, a Springfield Democrat and one of the bill's main sponsors. Im a businessman, so I should like low wages, but first Im an American and I want the citizens on the bottom to enjoy the American Dream first. No. He said his amendments were rejected in a rush to move this bill forward. He said one of those addressed the design of the licenses which arent going to look any different from current licenses, and could cause problems with voter registration. But the decisive roll calls (119-36 in the House and 32-8 in the Senate) may have just triggered the start of a larger fight. Please join us as we make a difference in the lives of newcomers. Applicants who cannot provide proof of lawful During the debate over the bill Thursday, SHNS reported, the five Democrats and three Republicans argued for having drivers licenses issued to undocumented immigrants reflect their undocumented status in some form. 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