It's high time that we let undocumented immigrants live without fear and start honoring their many contributions. The push to expand access to driver's licenses to qualified immigrants without legal status continues to gain momentum as public health professionals, business leaders, advocates and. -moz-columns: 2; Senate Committee Approves Proposal to Issue Limited Drivers Licenses to Undocumented Immigrants in Idaho. The governors office noted in the summer of 2016 that state lawmakers ultimately adopted legislation that included Bakers bipartisan amendment to make explicit that both a REAL ID-compliant license and a Massachusetts license will only be issued to individuals with proof of lawful presence, ensuring undocumented immigrants do not obtain either type of license under the new system.. Sheriffs in general do not feel that issuing this restricted driving card to somebody thats broken potentially broken federal immigration laws is not a good policy for sheriffs, Clearwater County Sheriff Chris Goetz said. It prohibits the Registry of Motor Vehicles from asking about or keeping documents related to immigration status. } You are voting for the first time in Massachusetts in a federal election; You are casting a provisional or challenged ballot; The poll worker has a reasonable suspicion that leads them to request identification. | 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. color:white !important; One of the documents presented by an applicant must include a photograph and one must include a date of birth. The bill required the second document to be a valid unexpired drivers license from any U.S. state or territory, an original or certified copy of a birth certificate, a valid unexpired foreign national identification card, a valid unexpired foreign drivers license, or a marriage certificate or divorce decree issued by any state or territory of the United States. Sponsors of the measure hired Antonio Molle and Sadie Webb to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. In 2014, Oregon voters voted to repeal SB 833, which would have made four-year driver's licenses available to those who cannot prove lawful presence. Aug 22, 2022 Category : Government . Massachusetts Ballot Question 4 seeks to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver's license while also setting up regulations to ensure they are not automatically registered to vote. Republican grassroots organizers said last . Should the measure be signed into law, Massachusetts would become the 16th state to provide illegal immigrants with the opportunity to get a driver's license - joining California, New York, Utah . Several police chiefs, sheriffs and Attorney General Maura Healey support the proposal. }, The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committees in support of the measure.Cite error: Invalid
[ tag; invalid names, e.g. and last updated 9:36 AM, Nov 09, 2022. "This makes our roads safer by requiring that everybody follow the same set of rules," Crighton said. The bill cleared both branches with more than enough support to override Baker's veto. But this bill should be signed His (Bakers) concerns are baseless. Beginning in April 2021, undocumented immigrants in New Jersey will be able to obtain driver's licenses. In Massachusetts, bills passed by the state legislature can be put before voters through a veto referendum petition. The registrar of motor vehicles cannot ask or create a record of the citizenship or immigration status of the applicant, and applications cannot be used to obtain the federally-recognized Real ID. A "no" vote would . In both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, applicants for driver's licenses will be required to provide proof of identity as well as proof of residency through documents like an unexpired foreign passport or an original birth certificate. A valid unexpired drivers license from any United States state or territory; an original or certified copy of a birth certificate; a valid unexpired foreign national identification card; a valid unexpired foreign drivers license; or a marriage certificate or divorce decree issued by any state or territory of the United States. Massachusetts voters will decide this November whether to overturn a new law that makes undocumented immigrants eligible for driver's licenses. Illegal immigrants in Massachusetts will be able to obtain driver's licenses after state lawmakers voted Thursday to override a veto from Republican Gov. Sarang Sekhavat, with the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said the law benefits immigrants and society as a whole. The act became a law in June after the House and Senate both voted to override Gov. Voters will weigh in on the question during the general elections on Nov. 8. } [25], The deadline for registration is 10 days prior to the election. }, The following is the argument in support of Question 4 found in the Official Voter Information Guide:[7], Fair and Secure Massachusetts led the campaign in support of a 'no' vote on Question 4. How to vote | (WWLP) - Question 4 asks voters whether they want to uphold or overturn a new state law expanding eligibility for driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.. McMahon cast doubt on the RMVs ability to handle differentiating between citizens and non-citizens. He noted that law enforcement officials have endorsed the ballot question for this reason. We cant keep telling them theyre essential and at the same time deny them the right to drive.. Gross Globe Staff, Updated October 6, 2022, 12:00 a.m. People gave hugs outside the State House after the lawmakers voted to override Governor Charlie Baker's veto of bill that. Lawmakers backing the move say it. Major City Chiefs of Police, as well as dozens of businesses. Members of the diverse and united Driving Families Forward coalition have fought tirelessly for nearly 20 years to allow individuals to apply for driver's licenses regardless of immigration status, and we will continue to fight for this reform as long as it takes. Question 4 would allow undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts to obtain a drivers license or learners permit if they meet all necessary requirements such as a road test, proof of identity and residency. Guthrie said drivers licenses are a basic necessity and would give all Idahoans 16 and older the opportunity to drive legally. State laws permitting this are on the books in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, Massachusetts New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, Vermont . The 25 new centers are expected to ease the burden on emergency rooms for patients with behavioral health crises. "The Registry of Motor Vehicles, who are going to be in charge of this, has no authority under any federal constitution or federal law to grant legitimacy to people who are otherwise in the country illegally," McMahon said. Why it matters: Massachusetts is home to more than 200,000 immigrants without legal status, according to the Migration Policy Institute. On June 13, 2022, Maureen Maloney and Kevin Dube filed the referendum with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance to create the Fair And Secure Massachusetts committee. And by barring residents without status from accessing drivers licenses, the commonwealth is creating barriers to full inclusion, economic stability and better health.. All rights reserved, Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter, MA Senate GOP Leader Will Press For Driver Privilege Cards' for Immigrants, Mass. The new law will extend driving privileges to an estimated 45,000-85,000 people over the next three years, according to MassBudget. She also argued that blocking the undocumented from obtaining licenses represents a forced lack of engagement that further cements inequality in our society.. Standing alongside her is Roxana Rivera, vice president of 32BJ SEIU, who led the push for the law with Reason. In February 2022, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for standard Massachusetts driver's licenses. Click "show" below to see the full list of Massachusetts veto referendums between 1919 and 2021. Massachusetts Question 4, Remove Proof of Citizenship or Immigration Status for Driver's License Applications Referendum (2022). Its about making our roads safer, making sure that everybody has to pass a road test and vision test to get a license in the Commonwealth.. Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, said, "The Work and Family Mobility Act makes our communities safer, builds trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities, and benefits our economy. Massachusetts does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. BURRELL: Statewide, police in New York used to arrest about 57,000 people a year for unlicensed driving. See20 CFR 655.120(b)(4). Otherwise, committees usually kill a bill by voting to hold it. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is poised to sign a pair of bills that recently passed the state Senate which restore the voting rights of convicted felons immediately upon release and grant the ability for illegal immigrants to obtain a driver's license. This has nothing to do with immigration. If the new bill passes, people who apply for a standard driver's license will need to provide proof of identity, date of birth and state residency, according to the bill. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. Charles D. Bakers (R) veto of House Bill 4805 (H 4805). A voter can register online, by mail, or in person at any registration office or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Research also showed Utah and New Mexico saw decreases in their rates of uninsured drivers by as much as 80 percent and 60 percent, respectively, following passage of their laws, according to the report. The bill passed by a slim margin in the heavily Democratic state, which was on the receiving end of a plane full of migrants who were sent to the state by Florida Gov. BOSTON (CBS) - The Senate passed a bill that would give immigrants without legal status a pathway to obtain a Massachusetts driver's license. The Secretary of State's officehas certified the number of signaturesneeded to put the repeal efforton the ballot. The ability to get behind a wheel and drive to work, or take your child to a doctors appointment, is something that many of us might take for granted," Spilka said. Join us. Charlie Baker has expressed his opposition to the measure, which would allow Massachusetts residents without legal immigration status to apply for a standard state driver's license, provided they show certain documents proving their identity. Massachusetts also requires other organizations that spend money to support or oppose ballot measures to report amounts to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance. Last month, the states Elections Division certified 71,883 signatures collected to get the question on the ballot well above the 40,120 signatures required. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics. We have some proposals that would address them, even as baseless as they are.. Question 4 asks voters whether to uphold a new law that allows immigrants without legal status to apply for a Massachusetts driver's license. Read Idaho Gov. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. too many. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. Supporters of the Work and Family Mobility Act have said allowing undocumented residents to obtain licenses is a common sense public safety measure to make sure more drivers are properly trained on the rules of the road. .sbtotalheader { Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. This makes our roads safer by requiring that everybody follow the same set of rules, Crighton, a sponsor of the law, said. Eagleson, who noted that licensed drivers are safer drivers, called decisions to limit time on the road heartbreaking, as they impact not only personal health but public health. Charlie Baker previously expressing opposition. The law requires that applicants for a drivers license or learners permit shall attest, under the pains and penalties of perjury, that their license has not been suspended or revoked in any other state, country, or jurisdiction. Undocumented immgrants can get a driver's license in the following states: California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Hawaii Illinois Maryland Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York Oregon Utah The sad thing is, we want members of our community who are essential workers to be there when we need them, but were perpetuating an obstacle to their ability to drive to work legally by not passing this law, Fitzpatrick said. Support GBH. Having access to a drivers license allows people to better access work and school. A total of $3,350.00 was spent to collect the 40,120 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $0.08. Im talking about the fear of being deported for taking a sick relative to the hospital or the fear of being deported for taking children to school. Senators have described the differences in the House and Senate versions as technical in nature and have said they will make sure they have sufficient votes for an override as well. Any documents not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. They will not be able to get a REAL ID. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. ICE is using facial recognition software to target undocumented immigrants in Maryland by conducting unauthorized searches of state-issued driver's licenses. In hisveto message, Baker said the legislation "significantly increases the risk that noncitizens will be registered to vote," a possibility that bill supporters have refuted. U.S. President | Senators voted 32-8 in favor of the controversial reform, which has drawn . In order for our states police officers to best do their jobs and remain safe while doing so, they need to be able to identify whos behind the wheel, he added. In 2022, Rhode Island became the most recent state to enact legislation extending driver's licenses and identification cards to those without proof of lawful presence (SB 2006/HB 7939). Click here for the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information. To register to vote in Massachusetts, you must be a resident of the state. Massachusetts is one of the first states to put repeal of the law to a vote. Immigrants can get a license in the United States in most states, but it depends on the state they live in and their immigration status. Yes on 4 led the campaign in support of a 'yes' vote on Question 4. This breaking news story will be updated. For 2022, there was a total of 21,658 calls for service, compared to 21,593 for 2021. } display: inline; .ballot-measure-endorsements ul { voters may get to decide whether to overturn undocumented immigrant driver's license law Create a . Stay up to date with everything Boston. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Charles D. Baker (R), Gubernatorial Candidate Geoff Diehl (R), and State Representatives Colleen Garry (D) and Marc Lombardo (R). 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), GOP-backed initiative to bring the matter to voters. The effort ultimately received more than enough support to make the ballot. } .endorsements-header { . His reporting in Idaho has helped uncover a multimillion-dollar investment scam and exposed inaccurate data that school districts submitted to the state. Jay McMahon, of Fair and Secure Massachusetts, and Sen. Brendan Crighton, of Safer Roads Massachusetts, debated the measure on Greater Boston. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. The campaign received endorsements from ACLU of Massachusetts and SEIU of Massachusetts. [13] In lieu of citizenship or immigration information, the bill allowed registrars to accept two documents that prove the date of birth and identity of the applicant, including foreign passports, birth certificates, or consular identification documents.[14]. Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Between 1919 and 2021, Massachusetts voters decided on 21 veto referendums11 laws were upheld and 10 were repealed. It also bars officials at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles from asking about, or creating a record of, an applicants citizenship or immigration status, and enables those without proof of lawful presence, including residents ineligible for social security numbers, to be eligible for a license if they meet all other qualifications for licensure and provide satisfactory proof to the registrar of identity, date of birth and Massachusetts residency.. Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, pushed to send the bill to the Senate floor without recommendation, acknowledging that her motion was unusual and could be viewed as the committee abdicating its responsibility to vet legislation and make a clear recommendation. It also authorized registrars to accept certain documents to verify the identity and date of birth of an applicant. Idaho's bill would create a new driver's . The MassGOP-led push to repeal the law through the ballot question began in June, with a kick-off from Diehl and his running mate, now Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Leah Allen. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios. "UndocuGrads: Navigating Graduate School as an Undocumented Student" 2019 Public Policy and International Affairs Program: Open to Undocumented Students; 2018-2019 Peer Engagement and Enrichment Program (PEEP) for Undocumented Students BOSTON - The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday joined the House in voting to override Gov. "The rule of law matters," Lyons said. The Idaho Capital Sun is the Gem States newest nonprofit news organization delivering accountability journalism on state politics, health care, tax policy, the environment and more. Can Undocumented Immigrants Get A Driver's License In Massachusetts. The state Senate picked up the bill, too, before Baker vetoed it in May. Voting Yes on 4 is just common sense: all of us will be safer if all drivers on the road pass a driving test, have insurance and have a license, association president and Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque said in a statement shared by the Yes campaign. John Milligan, of Fair and Secure Massachusetts, expands on this in his argument explaining the No vote published by the Secretary of States office: In his veto message of this bill, Governor Charlie Baker made it known that the Registry of Motor Vehicles does not have the capability or expertise necessary to verify documents from other countries and notes that, if this bill becomes law, Massachusetts drivers licenses will no longer confirm that a person is who they say they are.Additionally, Governor Baker states the bill specifically restricts the Registrys ability to share citizenship information with entities responsible for ensuring only citizens register to vote and vote in our elections, significantly increasing the likelihood that noncitizens will register to vote. The following are acceptable forms of identification:[25], Massachusetts automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles, division of medical assistance, health insurance connector authority, and other agencies that collect what state law defines as reliable citizenship information.[26]. "Allowing parents to drive their kids to school, take them to doctor's appointments or be in charge of carpooling to take their kids to soccer, all without the concern they may be separated if they are pulled over, will allow children of undocumented immigrants to breath and have a sigh of relief," bill supporters Sen. Adam Gomez, a Springfield Democrat, said earlier this month. 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