The Massachusetts State House in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. It prohibits the Registry of Motor Vehicles Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 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. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. It can tear families apart, and that is a heavy, heavy burden to carry that fear through the daily activities of one's life.". But youve found it. View All Newsletters. Are we demanding too much of our Registry of Motor Vehicle clerks? Connecticut saw a reduction of hit-and run crashes, and a decline in the number of people found guilty of unlicensed driving, a 2019 investigation by the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting found. Some Massachusetts residents want drivers licenses for illegal immigrants. 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. Legislature Overrides Gov. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Senate Democrats are The measure is about being safe on the road, according to Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. 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. 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. As of 2016, there are about 250,000 undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts, according to a report from the American Immigration Council. 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. 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Over the course of Thursday's debate, senators beat back attempts by Republicans and a handful of Democrats to distinguish the licenses that could be awarded to undocumented immigrants, either by offering them entirely separate "driver privilege cards" or by requiring a standard Massachusetts license issued to an immigrant without legal status to be printed in a different color or declare that it is not eligible as a form of identification. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. 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. Tom Homan: Biden is most concerned with optics. The bill still needs to go through a committee for review, but the deadline for that review has now been delayed until March. Liwan District, Guangzhou,Guangdong (P.R.China) 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 state House and Senate both overwhelmingly approved the bill earlier this year, but Baker vetoed it on May 27. It will also make it possible for immigrants and refugees to go about their lives with more peace of mind, Sweet said. Sign up for the GBH News Politics email newsletter, featuring complete local politics coverage along with insights from our team of political reporters. This session, having amassed enough votes to steamroll a veto, they went for it. Nobody has filed paperwork for a referendum yet, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvins office, but the group is expected to soon. With the passing of the law, Massachusetts joins 16 other states and Washington D.C., that have similar laws. Charlie Baker delivers his state of the state address Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in the House Chamber at the Statehouse, in Boston. Both Maloney and Dube supported Diehl at last month's Republican convention in Springfield. Eight other states are considering similar laws. "Sorry, we can't have this," Brownsberger told the crowd. House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka, as they have for months at this point, said their respective branches continue to deliberate in private about still-in-development tax packages without offering many details beyond a broad promise that the bills would aim to help vulnerable populations. A Boston Globe-Suffolk University poll of 800 Massachusetts residents published in the spring showed residents were divided on the issue. "But I think we've got enough interest to do it. View All Newsletters. By Jasper Goodman Updated June 23, 2021, 5:25 p.m. The @ma_senate looks forward to overriding this misguided decision.". The Massachusetts State Senate will debate whether undocumented immigrants should be able to get drivers licenses in formal session Thursday morning. 109. "And everyone deserves to feel safe and get to work, pick up children and be a part of their communities without fear. House Democrats in Massachusetts have passed a controversial measure that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. Charlie Bakers veto. Now dip your toe in the water for two bucks $2 for two months. Granting drivers licenses to illegal immigration is the wrong approach, he said. 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. Sixteen other states already have laws on the books allowing undocumented immigrants to acquire licenses, Crighton told his colleagues. State Representative Christine Barber (D-Somerville) was among those who cited economic reasons for giving drivers licenses to illegals. Stay up to date with everything Boston. 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. And it puts tremendous pressure on cities and towns to do the cleanup on the back end.". Migrants have faced a warm welcome but major challenges, like housing and education. Immigration activists have long lobbied for the measure, saying it will help improve public safety including for those who already have drivers licenses by requiring that immigrants demonstrate they can properly operate a car and that they have obtained the needed insurance in the event of an accident. 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. 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. 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. 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. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. It now moves to the Democrat-controlled Senate for approval, and then to Gov. The new law will allow immigrants without legal status to apply for a standard state drivers license beginning July 1, 2023. The new law will allow undocumented immigrants to apply for a standard state drivers license beginning July 1, 2023. Action would put mail-in voting and more early voting days on the table for this fall's elections, but for a majority of the legislators responsible for the bill, it won't make all that much of a difference. We sat down with the chiefs and asked what their concerns were and worked with them. If passed into law, immigrants would qualify for a Massachusetts standard Baker vetoed the bill last month, saying in a letter to the House that it "undoes a critical safeguard to the driver's license issuance process" and that the Registry of Motor Vehicles doesn't have the expertise or ability to verify many types of documents from other countries. A Boston Globe-Suffolk University poll of 800 Massachusetts residents published in the spring showed residents were divided on the issue. By Christian M. Wade Statehouse Reporter. 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. "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. or redistributed. 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. And that's basically and fundamentally what this bill is. and last updated 9:36 AM, Nov 09, 2022. 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. Tel: +86 20 81608506, Home Crighton noted in his speech that the law will require the Secretary of State to keep tabs on the voter registration process to be sure nothing goes amiss. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. Oversee budget development for new programs within RIS and update budgets for existing programs. A political committee began the process to repeal a new law to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers licenses, just four days after legislators voted to make Massachusetts the 17th state to do that. Senators voted 32-8 in favor of the controversial reform, which has drawn skepticism from Baker and split voters. APS ASSESSMENT: False. Charlie "This is clearly a complete overstep on the part of people who don't understand what the voters, what people in Massachusetts want out of their government," Wendy Wakeman, a Republican strategist who is working with the nascent referendum campaign, told the News Service. Analysis: Mass. They made their voices heard on Wednesday afternoon. 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. And it puts tremendous pressure on cities and towns to do the cleanup on the back end.. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Sen. Adam Gomez told members of the Senate that the bill would give undocumented members of the community the same flexibility and options everyone else has in driving. 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 identification document or certified copy of a birth certificate. I know that the economic purpose of immigration is to depress wages, Kropper said. And the main reason for that is no ones ever been able to explain to me how you can actually document and verify someone who is undocumented.. The poll was conducted from April 24 to April 28 and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. The Senate, which passed the final version of the immigrant license bill with a veto-proof 32-8 vote, is expected to override Baker's veto during its formal session This story was updated to include more details from the legislative debate, as well as reaction to the vote and background on the issue. MA Mobile Sports Betting Start Time Set Ahead Of March Madness, Free MA Community College Outlined In Gov's Budget. "In addition to increasing safety on our roads for all drivers, this legislation recognizes the essential role our immigrant neighbors play in our society and economy by ensuring that everyone has access to a drivers license. |Service (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File), The Massachusetts State House in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. It's ironing out the intraparty disagreements that often proves tougher, and more time-consuming. 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. "It basically means, in some respects, the Registry is going to be flying blind with respect to what it issues when it issues these licenses. "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. Oversee budget development for new programs within RIS and update budgets for existing programs. A bill that would make undocumented immigrants eligible for drivers licenses has cleared its first major hurdle, with House members passing it with a veto-proof 120-36 majority. "That was never really on the table here in Massachusetts," he said. She said she wants to leave the measure up to the voters, citing the Globe-Suffolk University poll. Driver's Licenses Bill Is Law. We also worked closely with the district attorneys who have seen these cases and seen people who are only going to court because they cant get a license.. In an event that The ability to drive our car to the store, to the doctor's appointments and to take our kids to sports practices, or even getting involved with extracurricular activities while granting them a peace of mind that they should that, said Gomez, a Senate co-sponsor. Copyright2022 HongmeiCo.,Ltd.Allrightsreserved. Pitching the bill as a road safety and immigration measure, supporters said it would ensure that some of the 185,000 immigrants who already live in Massachusetts without legal status are properly tested before driving and relieve their fears of traffic stops spiraling into devastating consequences. 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. Patricia Mae G. Santos, M.D., Kanan Shah, M.D., Francesca M. Gany, M.D., and Fumiko Chino, M.D. House lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the bill, which passed by a 120-36 vote. The original version of the bill was introduced almost 20 years ago, and multiple iterations have cropped up and failed, including one from then-state Rep. Marty Walsh in 2007, who is now the U.S. Secretary of Labor. |Products The new law will allow immigrants without legal status to apply for a standard state drivers license beginning July 1, 2023. She said the benefits of allowing individuals to apply for a drivers license regardless of immigration status will become quickly apparent. It will also require all drivers to take a driving test and enroll in auto insurance, which will benefit the state financially. Kathy Lynch, a Republican state committee member from Westford, said she worries that the bill could result in fraud. Ma Community College Outlined in Gov 's budget poll was conducted from April 24 to April 28 has. 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