Driver's licenses for illegal immigrants a super hot issue | Politics

By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press and Bob Heye, KATU News

SALEM, Ore. - Oregon lawmakers heard from the public on Monday about giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, a proposal that's sparking powerful emotions but unlikely to become law.

The Senate Transportation and Economic Development Committee discussed SB 845, which would give a special driver's license to people who can't produce a birth certificate. The state-issued identification card would grant driving privileges but couldn't be used for other purposes such as obtaining a concealed handgun permit or registering to vote or betting at a race track.

If the measure makes it through the Senate hearings and the full Senate approves it, it still has a long way to go before becoming law. The state House would also have to approve a version of the bill and then it would have to get the governor's signature as well. Neither side is sure exactly how long that process might take. Still, that hasn't stopped people from getting fired up about the issue.

Hundreds of people gathered on the steps of the capitol Monday in a rally that was organized by CAUSA, an immigrant rights coalition that has much to say on the matter.

"This is a public safety issue," said Francisco Lopez with CAUSA. "But this is also an issue that many of these folks need to get to work, to get to the doctor, to the hospital, to go to schools."

David Cross with Oregonians for Immigration Reform begged to differ, though.

"If we allow that to go on in Oregon, we become vulnerable to criminals beyond just the fact that there are foreign nationals here illegally wanting to work and drive to work," he said. "We're dealing with an issue of public safety and that's something that doesn't get heard often."

Background on the Measure

Supporters of the measure say illegal immigrants will drive whether they have a license or not, so the state should promote safe driving. Licensed drivers are tested to ensure they know the rules of the road, and it's far easier for them to get vehicle insurance, proponents argue.

"Immigrants do not come to this country to get driver's licenses. They do not leave because they're ineligible," Sen. Chip Shields, a Portland Democrat who is sponsoring the bill, said in a statement. He said the bill is "all about public safety."

Proponents argue that the bill isn't just aimed at illegal immigrants. They say there are citizens and legal U.S. residents who have lost their birth certificate or spend months trying to track one down. The bill would allow people in those circumstances to drive while they get the documentation needed for a full-privilege license.

But opponents aren't convinced. Jim Ludwig, president of the anti-illegal immigration group Oregonians for Immigration Reform, said it would endanger the public. A member of a drug cartel could obtain a license to legally drive on Oregon streets, Ludwig warned. And someone who's in the country illegally isn't going to feel the need to purchase auto insurance, he said.

"They operate in an environment where criminality and not obeying the laws is an acceptable way of doing business," Ludwig said.

Utah, New Mexico and Washington allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses.

The Oregon Senate last moth voted to allow some illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public universities. The measure is awaiting a committee hearing in the House Rules Committee.