Maloney said she believes its absolutely possible to collect the signatures necessary to get on the ballot in November. 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 also states that immigrants eligible for the drivers licenses would not be registered to vote as a result. Sen. Sonia Chang-Daz, a Boston Democrat, added that in many of them, the rate of uninsured drivers and hit-and-run crashes dropped after implementation of the policy. 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 Wakeman said the campaign is still working to collect the initial 10 signatures required to launch a referendum campaign. Granting drivers licenses to illegal immigration is the wrong approach, he said. All the fears and the arguments and the objections have fallen short, said Gonzalez. And it puts tremendous pressure on cities and towns to do the cleanup on the back end.". That included Steve Kropper, co-chairman of Mass Coalition for Immigration Reform, who said he is a registered Democrat. 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. Charlie 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. "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.". Senate overrides Baker veto: Undocumented immigrants will be able to get driver's licenses, With override, House moves Massachusetts closer to drivers licenses for unauthorized immigrants, Baker vetoes immigrant license access bill. "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. Nobody has filed paperwork for a referendum yet, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvins office, but the group is expected to soon. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Two conference committees kicked off their work this week, one tasked with resolving major differences between House and Senate sports betting bills and the other assigned with producing a final annual state budget. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. Its why 16 states and the District of Columbia already allow immigrants without legal status to get a drivers license if they meet certain conditions. Supporters of the bill said it would allow thousands of unlicensed drivers to travel to work and school without fear and would enhance safety on the road. "Today, the House took a significant step towards bringing all Massachusetts drivers under the same licensing and insurance standards, regardless of immigration status," House Speaker Ron Mariano said. A drivers license is essential for economic mobility. 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. 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. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! 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. Kathy Lynch, a Republican state committee member from Westford, said she worries that the bill could result in fraud. Not to mention, drivers with licenses are better equipped to obtain car insurance. House and Senate leaders will need to agree on final language to send to Baker's desk, which they could try to do informally senators previously said the changes they made before bringing the proposal to the floor were technical in nature or by appointing a conference committee. This legislation is distracting us not just from the needs of U.S. citizens but even people here who are here illegally. She's covered politics, immigration, incarceration, and health for The Guardian, DigBoston, The Boston Globe, and The Associated Press. And it puts tremendous pressure on cities and towns to do the cleanup on the back end.. A Suffolk University-Boston Globe poll of 800 Massachusetts residents published Monday found 46.6% oppose the proposal, 46.1% support it and nearly 7% are undecided. 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. I do not think that we should be rewarding people for being in the country illegally, Maloney said in a phone interview. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Lenny Mirra-vs.-Kristin Kassner State Rep Race One of Several Massachusetts Elections Decided By One Vote, ) before the Joint Committee on Transportation. (Thomas Kurmeier via Getty Images), "We are a nation of immigrants. State Representative Christine Barber (D-Somerville) was among those who cited economic reasons for giving drivers licenses to illegals. 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, as did all three Republican senators Bruce Tarr of Gloucester, Ryan Fattman of Sutton and Patrick O'Connor of Weymouth. We've gained support from a wide range of stakeholders over the course of a number of years, said lead sponsor Sen. Brendan Crighton ahead of the vote on Thursday. Join us. The bill could also act as a lure to those in the country illegally knowing they could get a drivers license in Massachusetts, said Republican Rep. Paul Frost, of Auburn. Market data provided by Factset. 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. Sarah Betancourt is a bilingual reporter for GBH News, and longtime Boston muckraker. 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. 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 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. 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. At least one piece of documentation must have a photograph. The Massachusetts House approved a bill Wednesday that would let immigrants in the country illegally obtain state drivers licenses. More than a dozen states allow undocumented immigrants to acquire some type of driver's license, though Baker said Monday he believes in most instances they offer a "driver's privilege card" and not a full license. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "If somebody can collect the signatures and put a question before the voters, then obviously the voters get a shot at it," Baker said. 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. 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. This bill is a free ticket to government benefits, Lynch said. The bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to get a driver's license in Massachusetts will now become law. 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. The formal legislative session ends July 31. I think the RMV [Registry of Motor Vehicles] is not equipped to properly vet people coming to the United States from over 100 different countries and being able to reliably decipher their documentation that, first of all, in the different language and second of all, for validity.. Charlie Baker's formal opposition. The state House and Senate both overwhelmingly approved the bill earlier this year, but Baker vetoed it on May 27. Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl and lieutenant governor candidate Leah Cole Allen said after Thursday's vote they would back a ballot question asking voters to repeal the new law. At least 16 states, including Connecticut and Vermont, allow residents to get a drivers license or permit regardless of immigration status, supporters say. We sat down with the chiefs and asked what their concerns were and worked with them. Ensure that financial reports are prepared according to LIRS, PRM and ORR requirements. Oversee budget development for new programs within RIS and update budgets for existing programs. The Massachusetts State Senate will debate whether undocumented immigrants should be able to get drivers licenses in formal session Thursday morning. "I have very grave concerns about the impacts this bill will have on public safety and the integrity of our elections," Rep. Steve Xiarhos, a Republican, said Wednesday on social media. 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. Conservative media is hard to find in Massachusetts. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. Without the support of Republicans who negotiated the final bill, lawmakers began advancing a measure to make mail-in voting and expanded early voting permanent options in Massachusetts. We're 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. However, states regulate who may receive a drivers license or identification card. We always have," Baker told the crowd at a New England Council event. The bill still must be approved by the Massachusetts Senate, also controlled by Democrats, before heading to Baker. 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. Mass illegal immigration is what you wanted Sign up for the newsletter to receive periodic updates on Cato research, events, and publications. Undocumented workers in some states must choose between driving illegally and risking exposure to the virus by sharing rides. A bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers' licenses has passed the Massachusetts Senate. Rep. Paul Frost, a Republican from Auburn, said it would encourage immigrants to come to Massachusetts without trying to obtain legal status. House lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the bill, which passed by a 120-36 vote. Speakers pepped up the crowd and recounted the license policy's long road toward becoming law, with one legislator recalling that it was a young Rep. Marty Walsh who first filed the bill many years ago. The bill would not register undocumented immigrants to vote. The vote was 32 to 8, with five Democrats voting with the chambers Republicans against the bill, State House News Service (SHNS) reported. Please join us as we make a difference in the lives of newcomers. Charlie Baker delivers his state of the state address Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in the House Chamber at the Statehouse, in Boston. With your support, GBH will continue to innovate, inspire and connect through reporting you value that meets todays moments. A topless marijuana dispensary may be coming to Western Mass. 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.
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