Whelan said the new rules would put too heavy a burden on those issuing licenses. Huanhua Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou,Guangdong (P.R.China). Were talking about a situation now where, under the current statute as I understand it, all the rules associated with determining lawful presence are going to go away. Market data provided by Factset. They made their voices heard on Wednesday afternoon. Zip code: 510375 House lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the bill, which passed by a 120-36 vote. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Patricia Mae G. Santos, M.D., Kanan Shah, M.D., Francesca M. Gany, M.D., and Fumiko Chino, M.D. , Brazilian Worker Center, Rian Immigrant Center (formerly the Irish International Immigrant Center), the Boston Teachers Union, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, and both illegal immigrants and legal immigrants (who sometimes testified in foreign languages). "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.". We couldn't do it without you. With your support, GBH will continue to innovate, inspire and connect through reporting you value that meets todays moments. The House voted 11936 on Wednesday to override the veto. 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. would become the third state to make it lawful for adults to grow, ingest and give away certain psychedelic plants and fungi. Charlie Baker. Critics of the measure have argued that drivers licenses are a privilege that should not be offered to those not in the country legally. 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. I do not think that we should be rewarding people for being in the country illegally, Maloney said in a phone interview. We all benefit from increased public safety," state Senate President Karen Spilka said after Baker's veto in May. The hearing featured a wide array of supporters of the bills, including various Democrats in the Massachusetts legislature, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Other states like California, New York and Utah already do the same. 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. No. The governor said at the time that the legislation would create problems for the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which he said lacks the expertise to verify the types of identification immigrants use from other countries, a requirement of the bill. Mass. All the fears and the arguments and the objections have fallen short, said Gonzalez. Mass illegal immigration is what you wanted Sign up for the newsletter to receive periodic updates on Cato research, events, and publications. ", 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.". WebLutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a champion for all uprooted people. A drivers license allows people to get to work, but also allows people to get to the doctor and make sure their health care needs are being met, Barber said during the hearing Wednesday, June 23. Both chambers are controlled by Democrats. Are we asking them to become experts in foreign documentation and forgery detection? Whelan said. Illegal immigrants in Massachusetts will be able to obtain driver's licenses after state lawmakers voted Thursday to override a veto from Republican Gov. A bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers' licenses has passed the Massachusetts Senate. 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. Here's what we know. To apply for a license, someone without legal presence would need to provide the Registry of Motor Vehicles with a foreign passport or a consular identification document as well as at least one of five other documents: a driver's license from another state, a foreign driver's license, a birth certificate, a foreign national ID card, or a marriage certificate from any U.S. territory. It could also prevent undocumented immigrants from fleeing police during a traffic stop for the sake of preventing identification as an undocumented immigrant and risking deportation, supporters say, according to SHNS. The bill would not register undocumented immigrants to vote. WebLutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a champion for all uprooted people. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! After implementing a similar law, Connecticut saw a reduction of hit-and run crashes, and a decline in the number of people found guilty of unlicensed driving, an investigation by the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting found. "Without a license, a routine traffic stop can have a lasting and traumatic set of repercussions: arrest, ICE detention, deportation. Gomez called concerns that the bill would unleash voter fraud a "red herring.". Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The votes were there to pass the bill and Democrats in both branches flexed their political muscles in a 24-hour span to cement the licensing bill as law by clearing the two thirds hurdle needed for a veto override. Charlie Baker's veto of an immigrant driver's license access bill marched around the State House in Boston on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. This bill is a free ticket to government benefits, Lynch said. The law specifically mandates that the state Registrar of Motor Vehicles develop procedures and regulations to ensure that license It prohibits the Registry of Motor Vehicles from asking about or keeping documents related to immigration status. At least 16 states, including Connecticut and Vermont, allow residents to get a drivers license or permit regardless of immigration status, supporters say. 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. The increase is "problematic for Massachusetts and for our country," said Commissioner Margret Cooke. The MIRA Coalition firmly opposes any and all efforts to repeal the Work and Family Mobility Act, said Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, in a call with GBH. 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. 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. A long-debated proposal to expand driver's license access to undocumented immigrants took a major step Thursday toward becoming law, clearing the Massachusetts Senate with a strong enough margin to overcome the prospect of Gov. Nineteen states have laws in place that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a drivers license, including Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Washington. Please join us as we make a difference in the lives of newcomers. "I'm not throwing stones, (but) I filed legislation three years ago, before the pandemic, to significantly shift investments in primary care, addiction services, behavioral health and gerontology because we underfund those things. I know that the economic purpose of immigration is to depress wages, Kropper said. Baker's Driver's License Bill Veto. To put the question of whether the law should be repealed on the November ballot, petitioners will need to collect at least 40,120 signatures from registered voters, no more than 10,030 of which can come from a single county, in less than three months. 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. It will also make it possible for immigrants and refugees to go about their lives with more peace of mind, Sweet said. "Indeed, many of our policy chiefs support the bill as a public safety tool and agree that it will enable law enforcement to better identify individuals at traffic stops or scenes of an accident.". Under the legislation, the Registry of Motor Vehicles would be required to come up with regulations about what specific kinds of documentation are acceptable. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. Some who opposed the bill agreed with Gomez on one part of his testimony: that it is a pro-business bill. In Massachusetts, we pride ourselves in being a leader on so many important national issues, but with respect to this policy before you today, we have fallen behind, Crighton said. And I'm disappointed that our governor chose to veto it, and ignore the public safety argument, and get hung up on questions that we think we answered properly to him.". In your inbox every Thursday morning. Whether it's Healey or someone else, the next governor will have their work cut out on a series of intimidating and harrowing obstacles even if the state remains on good fiscal footing. At least 16 states, including Connecticut and Vermont, allow residents to get a drivers license or permit regardless of immigration status, supporters say. Our lives are safer when every single driver has to pass a road test, a vision test, and obtain insurance.. Migrants have faced a warm welcome but major challenges, like housing and education. Starting July 1, 2023, anyone in Massachusetts regardless of immigration status can apply for a standard driver's license. Similar ceremonies for other legislation usually feature Baker wielding a pen over the parchment, but in this case it was Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano wielding their override pens. 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. New to NewBostonPost? "There's a ton of policies and procedures and training that will have to be done across the registry to actually pull this off, and there's no one who works for the registry currently who knows what any of these foreign documents look like or how to determine their validity," he said. Mass. We post scholarship opportunities that are open to undocumented students, strategies for navigating the educational system, information on how to apply for DACA/Advance Parole, news on DAPA, and much more. "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. Please join us as we make a difference in the lives of newcomers. Fattman said local elections officials in his district had contacted him expressing concerns about the topic, and bill backers fired back that the state already has protections in place to prevent ineligible residents from registering to vote. Democrat Sens. "But I think we've got enough interest to do it. Convening a ballot question campaign committee is an early step along the road toward putting a referendum before voters, but it still indicates the law could be short-lived if petitioners -- who have support from Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl -- collect enough signatures in the next two and a half months. We know in other states that have passed this bill, passed a form of driver's licenses for immigrants, that hit-and-run accidents go down by 10 percent, House co-sponsor Tricia Farley-Bouvier told GBH News on Thursday morning. A long-debated proposal to expand driver's license access to undocumented immigrants took a major step Thursday toward becoming law, clearing the Massachusetts Senate with a strong enough margin to overcome the prospect of Gov. In an event that Vote No On All, Massachusetts Bill Would Provide Free College For Illegal, Massachusetts Senate Bill Would Provide In-State Tuition To, With Howitzers and Helicopters, Western States Trigger, Three Massachusetts Members of Congress Backing, Elizabeth Warren Wants To See More Defense Contractors, Maura Healey To Release Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 Budget This Week, West Roxbury State Rep Cashing In With Massachusetts Biotechnology Council Gig. "It is unnecessary because we are just focused on the ability of someone to drive.". With respect to our Congressional delegation, whos fighting the good fight, do we really think that Congress is going to find consensus on meaningful immigration reform anytime soon?. We have far more important problems to fix, Kropper said. DUTIES. Trying to ensure our drivers licenses have integrity and cannot be misused for various purposes those are important things, and those things dont go away because of the hardships weve heard about.. The calendar could shape the dynamics at play there. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. Market data provided by Factset. The bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to get a driver's license in Massachusetts will now become law. House Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, bill sponsors Reps. Christine Barber and Tricia Farley-Bouvier, and Sens. In November, voters in Massachusetts will decide on rejecting a state law that allows illegal immigrants to obtain a drivers license. The law, signed by Gov. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. Charlie Skeptics and opponents of the bill should look to the experience of the 16 states that have already adopted similar measures, said Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, a Springfield Democrat and son of immigrants. Otherwise, a more common initiative petition likely could not go before voters until 2024, more than a year after the July 1, 2023 start date on which immigrants without legal status can begin applying for licenses. A topless marijuana dispensary may be coming to Western Mass. More on Driver's Licenses. Five Democrats joined the chamber's three Republicans in dissent, but backers still got more than enough favorable votes on record to signal the Senate would clear the two-thirds vote needed to override a potential veto. 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. ", The gubernatorial candidate told business leaders she is among those concerned about the statewide housing shortage and the high costs of living, two days before the man she hopes to succeed in the corner office delivered a similar message dubbing the lack of available and affordable housing an "existential threat.". Justice Kimberly S. Budd said leaders need to advocate for people who cant afford their own counsel. Republican candidate Geoff Diehl said he would support a ballot question to repeal the legislation, according to statement from his campaign. Now dip your toe in the water for two bucks $2 for two months. This session, having amassed enough votes to steamroll a veto, they went for it. 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. |Contact Us. The campaign will have until Aug. 24 to submit signatures to local election officials for certification and until Sept. 7 to submit them to Secretary of State William Galvin's office. "I don't see this the same way the House and the Senate see it," Baker said Monday. If passed into law, immigrants would qualify for a Massachusetts standard driver's license if they presented valid proof of identity, date of birth and state residency. 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, I am one of those who comes to the chamber concerned about some of the provisions before us, concerned because a drivers license is one of the most, if not the most, recognizable, important pieces of identification in our society, bar none, Bruce Tarr, the chambers minority leader, said at the start of the session, the news service reported. The ability to apply for a drivers license is the number one issue for immigrant families, Barber added. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. "That was never really on the table here in Massachusetts," he said. Those people who have elected you to protect them, not just physically protect them in the communities they live in but to protect their jobs, their livelihood, their wages, to give them an opportunity to work hard to provide for their families, to save for a rainy day, opportunities for their children to have summer jobs, opportunities for their 18-year-olds high school graduates to begin careers lifelong careers. But youve found it. Support GBH. But youve found it. ". Baker in the past has voiced support for broader voting by mail, and he signed both the temporary law and extensions to it during the public health crisis. BOSTON (AP) The Massachusetts House approved a bill Wednesday that would let immigrants in the country illegally obtain state drivers licenses. Copyright2022 HongmeiCo.,Ltd.Allrightsreserved. Connecticut looks to join Massachusetts, others states in seeking ways to curb deadly highway wrong-way crashes. Outside of spending levels, the budget talks -- which opened with brief public remarks before moving into private -- will feature some significant policy decisions as well, including a Senate proposal to create new licensing protections for Massachusetts reproductive health and gender-affirming care providers who may face legal challenges originating in other states. Proponents of the bill say it expands access to services for immigrants and helps police if every driver has passed a road test and has an insured and licensed vehicle. 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. We couldn't do it without you. The Massachusetts State Senate will debate whether undocumented immigrants should be able to get drivers licenses in formal session Thursday morning. "This bill means trust and dignity for immigrants in our state who lack federal status," Chang-Daz said. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. The bill would also make it less likely for immigrants to leave the scene of an accident because they would face less of a threat of deportation with a drivers license, backers said. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), The MBTA is being sued for the 2021 Green Line crash. Join us. The bill still requires approval by the Massachusetts Senate, also controlled by Democrats, before heading to Baker. This article was updated to include additional comments. |Service As of 2016, there are about 250,000 undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts, according to a report from the American Immigration Council. 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. Legislature Overrides Gov. The Senate voted 32-8 Thursday. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Oversee budget development for new programs within RIS and update budgets for existing programs. Those who testified largely stuck to the same talking points: that immigrants need drivers licenses to get to work and doctors appointments, that they play a key role in the states workforce, that it would prevent some hit-and-run accidents, that it would result in more Bay State residents with car insurance, and that it would give the state some additional revenue because of licensing and registration fees. 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. And it puts tremendous pressure on cities and towns to do the cleanup on the back end.". They'd have until Aug. 24 to submit signatures to local election officials for certification and then Sept. 7 to submit them to Secretary of State William Galvin's office. Idahos bill Report on 2014 legislation shows most domestic workers don't get basic rights and employers aren't trying to comply. A drivers license is essential for economic mobility. Legal Statement. Tel: +86 20 81608506, Home All rights reserved, Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter, Mass. Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. City hopes state legislature boosts shelter aid. State House News Service | Senate Democrats are also hoping for a two-thirds majority vote. Will this be the year the bill passes? Undocumented immigrants will still We did change some of the bill and made sure that we're really clear on the types of documents people need to provide to get licenses, said Rep. Christine Barber, lead co-sponsor of the House bill. UL/ CUL Constant Volatge LED Power Supply, UL/ CUL Constant Current LED Power Supply, Room 8055, 5th floor. The override was not the only display of political strength Democrats made this week. 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. State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) painted it as a pro-business bill. She was a reporter for CommonWealth Magazine, and senior immigration reporter for Law360. On Thursday, Crighton said, On the issue of voting, weve debunked it again and again, and again.. Secretary of State Bill Galvin turns down 20% pay raise. I dont support drivers licenses for people who are undocumented, Baker said during a 2014 GBH debate. RMV To Send More Than 50,000 New Licenses After Printing Error, Even After Investigation, Stoneham Cop Hasn't Paid Dime of Rent to New Landlord, Tracking the Next Hit of Wintry Weather Headed to New England, Due Late Week, Power Lines Crash Onto Cars, Trucks for Blocks in Stoneham; Cause Unknown, Rescuers Capture Bald Eagle Believed to Be Critically Sickened by Rat Poison. Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2021/06/24/proponents-opponents-lay-out-arguments-against-drivers-licenses-for-illegal-immigrants-in-massachusetts/, EightPillars of the Modern Democratic Party. While some in law enforcement have backed the bill, many have declined to take a position, according to Republican state Rep. Timothy Whelan, of Brewster. "And everyone deserves to feel safe and get to work, pick up children and be a part of their communities without fear. In an event that went more than three hours before it featured any difference of opinion, mostly supporters testified in favor of two bills (S.2289/H.3456) before the Joint Committee on Transportation. 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. Charlie Baker. 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. The bill still needs to go through a committee for review, but the deadline for that review has now been delayed until March. MASSACHUSETTS The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday that would allow undocumented immigrants to get state driver's licenses. The bill, H.4805, would allow those without legal status to apply for a driver's license if they can show proof of their identity and residency in Massachusetts. Maureen Maloney and Kevin Dube filed paperwork with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance on Monday to create the Fair And Secure Massachusetts committee, intending to repeal drivers licenses for illegal aliens, according to one of the forms. 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 Not to mention, drivers with licenses are better equipped to obtain car insurance. Legislators, who often wrap up work at the last minute or blow past deadlines altogether, faced pressure to finalize a bill soon with the Sept. 6 statewide primary less than three months away. A two-thirds vote in the House and Senate would override a potential veto by Baker. If passed into law, immigrants would qualify for a Massachusetts standard Charlie Baker on the legislation. A Boston Globe-Suffolk University poll of 800 Massachusetts residents published in the spring showed residents were divided on the issue. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), 2 victims of fatal Salem head-on crash identified, 79 years later, soldier killed in WWII to be buried in Maine, Police identify woman found dead in Merrimack River. If he vetoes the bill, it would go back to the Legislature to see if the veto would be overridden. The first must be either a valid unexpired foreign passport or a valid unexpired consular identification. , it would go back to the legislature to see if the veto not in the House the... Adults to grow, ingest and give away certain psychedelic plants and fungi can create more. Featured a wide array of supporters of the measure have argued that licenses! And Fumiko Chino, M.D burden on those issuing licenses Massachusetts the Massachusetts House Representatives! Mae G. Santos, M.D., Kanan Shah, M.D., Francesca M. Gany,,!, Senate President Karen Spilka, bill sponsors Reps. Christine Barber and Tricia Farley-Bouvier, and ideas... Offered to those not in the country illegally, Maloney said in a phone interview a ballot to! Controlled by Democrats, before heading to Baker still needs to go about their lives with more of! Benefit from increased public safety, '' Baker said during a 2014 GBH debate fix, Kropper said fallen! Veto, they went for it `` But i think we 've enough..., How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive budgets for existing.. Strength Democrats made this week receive the latest News and breaking updates, straight our... By Refinitiv Lipper after state lawmakers voted Thursday to override the veto would be.. 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Geoff Diehl said he would support a ballot question to repeal the legislation according!: https: //newbostonpost.com/2021/06/24/proponents-opponents-lay-out-arguments-against-drivers-licenses-for-illegal-immigrants-in-massachusetts/, EightPillars of the measure have argued that drivers licenses in formal session morning... Experts in foreign documentation and forgery detection a difference in the Massachusetts state President. Legislature, the Massachusetts House approved a bill that would allow undocumented to... And Children supporters of the Modern Democratic Party this week unexpired foreign Passport or valid... From our newsroom to your inbox advocate for people who cant afford their own counsel would let in... Illegal immigration is what you wanted Sign up for our country, '' Chang-Daz said supporters of Modern. 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