A bill has circulated for at least two decades in Massachusetts, aiming to give undocumented immigrants the ability to earn a state driver’s license. Now, it’s picked up more steam than ever before, bolstered by the likes of Attorney General Maura Healey and 55 heads of Massachusetts law enforcement agencies.
“This bill is about more than just operating a vehicle,” said Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian in an info session attended by several law enforcement leaders about the initiative. “It’s really about a lifeline to the services that we need to support our families and our communities.”
The bill, also endorsed by over 270 local organizations and eight sheriffs, would lift restrictions on undocumented drivers who pass state driving tests the ability to get licensed in Massachusetts. For the first time since it was introduced, the bill was reported favorably out of last session’s Joint Commission on Transportation.
Similar bills have passed in 16 states including Connecticut, New York and Vermont, as well as Washington, D.C. One estimate from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center found that up to 78,000 immigrants in Massachusetts would obtain licences within the first three years of implementation, if it were to pass.
Pablo Ruiz, deputy director of SEIU, pointed out that the bill not only helps immigrants, but it also improves road safety. “We can impact safety on the roads for everybody when everybody learns the same rules, passes the same test, gets the license, is able to register their vehicle, and of course, insures their vehicle,” he said. “We’ve seen declines of hit-and-runs.”
Since the earlier iterations of the bill, lawmakers have tightened standards around IDs. Now, passports would be considered the “gold standard” for immigrants to get driver’s licenses, but other forms including consulate IDs could also be used, which Chelsea Chief of Police Brian Kyes, who also serves as the president of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs of Police, noted have stringent security features. Non-citizen applicants would still be unable to register to vote when applying for a license.
Jody Kasper, police chief of Northampton, cited one of the reasons for driver’s licenses as a practical one.
“We’ve all been in those situations where we’ve had these car stops, we’ve been standing on the side of the road in the middle of the night, someone in a car, sometimes with a language barrier, you’re asking for a license, you’re handed miscellaneous paperwork. Ultimately, it really just causes confusion for the officer and for the driver, and also a high amount of stress for the driver,” she said.
Kyes noted that this bill would also serve to build trust between police and the communities they serve, particularly in majority-minority cities like Chelsea.
“Law enforcement, certainly over 2020, 2021, was unfortunately painted in a very negative light,” he said. “We have to continue to work on building the trust that we’ve established every single day, every single shift, every single hour, every single interaction.”
___
(c)2022 the Boston Herald
Visit the Boston Herald at www.bostonherald.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
—-
This content is published through a licensing agreement with Acquire Media using its NewsEdge technology.
“we’ve been standing on the side of the road in the middle of the night, someone in a car, sometimes with a language barrier, you’re asking for a license, you’re handed miscellaneous paperwork.”,,,,,Like when legal citizens show up at the DPS to get or renew their Driver’s licenses and are handed a pile of paperwork to register to vote as well. When the forms are examined all you have to do is check the box that says you are an American citizen with no valid ID to prove it . This act is not about Driving, but illegal voter registration to steal future elections.
Massachusetts, aiming to give undocumented immigrants the ability to earn a state driver’s license.
* Non-citizen applicants would still be unable to register to vote
when applying for a license. BULL Smit!
** But once the illegal criminal immigrants have a delivers license. They can register to vote.
** In new York all one has to be is live in the state for 30 days and the illegal immigrant can register to vote.
** Noncitizens’ Right to Vote Becomes Law in New York City.
Why do you think that the treasonous Democrat Party is
encouraging, protecting, secretly transporting and supporting Multi-Millions of illegal immigrants??
I have LONG and firmly been against this, EVEN TO THE POINT I say in states that DO ALLOW ILLEGAL invaders to get drivers licenses, THAT SHOULD NULL AND VOID EVERY DRIVERS LICENSE in that state, as a “VALID photo ID” for voting.. Period..
Either become legal immigrants OR GET OUT.
The treasonous Democrat Party is buying illegal immigrants, illegal votes.
Right now, i would just love to SEAL OUR BORDER shut, period.. CLOSE IT OFF, till we have kicked out EVERY ILLEGAL HERE, wheher border jumpers, or ALL of those who have overstayed their vias (or came here on FRAUDULENT visas).. THEN EXILE all the illegal invader lovers, whether politicians, judges, or activists…
THEN Slowly open it back up, to LEGAL immigrants, who WANT TO COME AND BECOME americans…
Why bother to require illegal aliens to have a driver’s license when the federal government will allow illegals to fly using an ICE arrest warrant as proof of identification? The goal of the progressive left is to give illegal aliens the same rights and privileges that are provided to American citizens, especially the right to vote thereby allowing radical Democrats to take permanent control of the federal government in addition to many state and local governments. The only way to stop this insanity is for patriotic Americans to start electing politicians who will protect our national sovereignty, uphold the Constitution, restore law and order to ensure public safety, limit the power and growth of government, reduce taxes, and support a business-friendly environment that will encourage economic growth. If we fail to do this, I fear that our cherished Constitutional Republic will be lost.
Sadly I think that’s wishful thinking on your part. There are far too many left wing liberals that are elected to our government to ever get them all weeded out. The only way that will be left for the citizens to take back this country will be with a full blown revolution, just like we had against the British. If not that, we will lose our constitutional republic.
Its a sorry state of affairs, but i firmly agree with you Gus.. THEY ARE TO FAR ENTRENCHED to weed out via merely voting…
“bolstered by the likes of Attorney General Maura Healey and 55 heads of Massachusetts law enforcement agencies”. Liberal trash in Massachusetts describes the Attorney General and the 55 heads of law enforcement agencies. Ted Kennedy liberalism personified!
I wonder, in those states that DO allow it already, ARE THEIR DRIVERS TESTS given in ONLY ENGLISH?? OR in every damn other language under the sun?
ALSO< are they being mandated, LIKE AMERICANS ARE, to carry insurance???
“We’ve all been in those situations where we’ve had these car stops, we’ve been standing on the side of the road in the middle of the night, someone in a car, sometimes with a language barrier, you’re asking for a license, you’re handed miscellaneous paperwork. Ultimately, it really just causes confusion for the officer and for the driver, and also a high amount of stress for the driver,” she said. Actually, you don’t have that problem if illegals aren’t handed licenses in the first place. Other than the lame excuses mentioned in this article, what is the rationale for giving a legal license to an illegal alien??
We need to return to the fundamentals of citizenship in this country and stop being a dispensary of goods and services to anybody and everybody who crosses the border.
Illegals are not citizen s of the U.S. Or the state they illegally live in.
AND ANY state who’s govt HANDS OUT THE RIGHTS of a Citizen, to illegals, SHOULD LOSE Their own damn citizenship!
What happened to the laws allowing foreigners to use their driver license granted by their Home country to drive while in the USA? No need for any state to be issuing a drivers license at all.
We all know that these democrat run states use any and all avenues to legalize illegals. They will eventually get what they desire which Is to have illegals given every opportunity Americans have. They are not intelligent enough to see this is the beginning of the demise of their reign of terror.
As i have often remarked.. ITs getting to where BECAUSE ILLEGALS are treated BETTER than citizens are…, maybe its time i burned ALL my citizenship papers, run across the border, then come back in, and request asylum….