driver's license for undocumented immigrants in massachusetts 2022

PODER of Idaho is an organization that works to empower the Latinx and immigrant communities in the areas of immigrant rights, economic justice, education and social justice. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. They will not be able to get a REAL ID. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. As a son of immigrants, I can tell you the passage of this legislation would bring hope to the undocumented residents of Idaho, Montelongo told legislators. It prohibits the Registry of Motor Vehicles from asking about or keeping documents related to immigration status. The Secretary of State's officehas certified the number of signaturesneeded to put the repeal efforton the ballot. Under the law, a person can obtain a drivers license or learners permit in Massachusetts so long as they pass a road test, meet all other qualifications, and provide proof of their identity, date of birth, and residency. Standing alongside her is Roxana Rivera, vice president of 32BJ SEIU, who led the push for the law with Reason. Diehl also partnered with Maureen Maloney, who chairs a committee formed earlier this year called, Fair And Secure Massachusetts. The group is now urging voters to vote No on Question 4 this November. 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. Massachusetts Question 4, the Remove Proof of Citizenship or Immigration Status for Driver's License Applications Referendum, was on the ballot in Massachusetts as a veto referendum on November 8, 2022. Governor Baker supports existing laws in Massachusetts, enacted on a bipartisan basis, that ensure Massachusetts compliance with federal REAL ID requirements and enable those who demonstrate lawful presence in the United States to obtain a license, Terry MacCormack, a spokesman for the governor, told MassLive on Tuesday. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. II. 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. Last week, Senate President Karen Spilka said that as a granddaughter of immigrants, she has been a long-time supporter of the Work and Family Mobility Act and is pleased to see it move forward. [3] [4] Estimates in 2016 put the number of unauthorized immigrants at 10.7 million, representing 3.3% of the total U.S. population. Opponents of the bill said, under H 4805, it would be difficult for the Registry of Motor Vehicles to verify foreign documents and that the bill would permit noncitizens to vote. The act became a law in June after the House and Senate both voted to override Gov. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. 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. Massachusetts does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. Join us. Prior to joining the Idaho Capital Sun he reported for the Idaho Falls Post Register and Idaho Education News. The Idaho Legislature's Senate Transportation Committee voted Tuesday to advance a bill that would create a restricted driver's license available to all people 16 and older residing in Idaho . Massachusetts voters rejected the repeal of a new law that lets immigrants obtain state-issued drivers licenses regardless of their legal status, the Associated Press reports. Nineteen states have laws in place that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a drivers' license, including Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Washington. Constitutional rights -moz-columns: 2; When I talk about that fear, I am not talking about the fear of running off the road when it is snowing outside or the fear of hydroplaning during a thunderstorm, Gonzalez Tena told legislators. All Massachusetts families need peace of mind knowing that the drivers on our highways and city streets have passed the same driving test and know the rules of our roads., Jeneczka Roman, advocacy and coalition manager at the Massachusetts Public Health Association, described the bill as a key tool for a healthier and more just commonwealth.. A "no" vote was to repeal House Bill 4805, thereby maintaining existing state law that prohibits applicants who cannot verify citizenship or immigration status from obtaining a driver's license and motor vehicle registration. The requirements to get a veto referendum certified for the 2022 ballot: If the 1.5 percent threshold is met, the targeted law is not suspended, but it is put before voters at the next general election to be upheld or rejected. Alexi Cohan is a producer on Greater Boston. Idaho State Capitol building on January 11, 2023. 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. The bill now has more co-sponsors than previous versions, as well as strong support from law enforcement agencies and hundreds of health care workers, according to a coalition of labor, business and public health leaders who held a virtual news conference Tuesday. An estimated 45,000 to 50,000 people could get licenses in the next three years under the law. margin-bottom: 0 !important; These people are mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters who are here to be an active part of the American dream, and they arent going anywhere.. Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Crighton said residents should vote "yes" in the interest of safety. | One committee was registered in support of a 'no' vote on Question 4: Fair and Secure Massachusetts. In the debate, Crighton refuted McMahon by pointing to the fact that to register to vote, applicants must also prove their citizenship and that the RMV has already granted licenses to green card holders, foreign visa holders, and DACA recipients, among others, without enrolling them as voters. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics. Roberta Fitzpatrick, Arbella Insurances managing attorney, noted that in the first four years after Connecticut passed its drivers license bill in 2015, more than 50,000 undocumented immigrants have taken driving tests. .split-cols-bm { font-size:1.2em; In April, several mayors testified on Beacon Hill in support of the law, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, who is now the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. Public policy. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, 'Heartbroken' by the tragedy of war, a Ukrainian opera singer performs in Belmont, Healey's proposed budget a boon to education and the environment, Senate confirms first Hispanic judge to Massachusetts federal court, The woman who introduced MLK Jr. and Coretta Scott lies in an unmarked grave in Boston, The civil rights memorials that expose America's ugly history and warn of repeating the past. 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. font-size:1.0em; Speaking in support, the bill's sponsor, Sen. Adam Gomez (D), said: 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 breathe and have a sigh of relief.[15][6]. In this, I think we might need the wisdom of the whole body as we debate and deliberate this.. 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. School districts | YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Elections in 2023 | BOSTON (AP) Massachusetts voters will get the chance to decide whether the state should reject a new law allowing immigrants in the country illegally to obtain state driver's licenses. In the Senate, the override passed by a 32-8 margin, with 32 Democrats voting to override and five Democrats joining all three Republicans to sustain Bakers veto. Any other government document displaying the voter's name and address. Examples of acceptable identification include: a driver's license, state-issued ID card, recent utility bill, rent receipt, lease, a copy of a voter registration affidavit, or any other printed identification which contains the voter's name and address. Thank you! A "yes" vote on Question 4 will preserve the Massachusetts law that allows people living in the U.S. without authorization to apply for driver's licenses starting next July. .sbtotaltable th { The new law will allow undocumented immigrants to apply for a standard state driver's license beginning July 1, 2023. of State Bill Galvin has said this type of regulation would be feasible to implement. In 2019, the Oregon State Legislature adopted a similar law that is still in effect. } Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Opponents of a new law allowing undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts to receive driver's licenses say they have collected enough signatures to put their repeal question onto November's 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. I think the answer to that is yes.. It looks like a bid to repeal a Massachusetts law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses will make it on to the November ballot. ICE is using facial recognition software to target undocumented immigrants in Maryland by conducting unauthorized searches of state-issued driver's licenses. However, the divided committee took the unusual step of sending Senate Bill 1081 to the Senate floor without a recommendation attached to it. Visually, the restricted drivers licenses would be oriented vertically, instead of horizontally, Guthrie said. 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. 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. color:white !important; font-weight:bold; Retired Meridian Police Chief Jeff Lavey told the Senate Transportation Committee that members of the Idaho Sheriffs Association voted unanimously to oppose the bill to create a restricted drivers license. Charlie Baker's formal opposition. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Why it matters: Massachusetts is home to more than 200,000 immigrants without legal status, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Ballotpedia features 395,437 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Sec. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. It has been endorsed by over 230 organizations, including the Mass. The RMV has been issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants since 2016, which allows them to drive legally and have access to other necessary services. Sixteen states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., allow undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses or similar IDs known as driving privilege cards, eliminating the chance of arrest for driving without a license, a common fast-track to deportation. All rights reserved, Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter, MA Senate GOP Leader Will Press For Driver Privilege Cards' for Immigrants, Mass. If a petition seeks to suspend the targeted law and reaches the 2 percent threshold, the targeted law is suspended until the next general election, at which voters decide whether to approve the bill or reject it. Democratic state Sen. Brendan Crighton, of Lynn, in a debate on the ballot question on GBHs Greater Boston earlier this month, said hit-and-run incidents have decreased in those states after the laws were put in place. Another 39.2 percent said they would vote against the law, while 4.2 percent remained undecided. 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. First up is legislation known as the Restore the Vote bill, having passed the By Samantha J. Do we want to support individuals who are new to our community and their ability to grow and prosper the way any of us who were born here have that opportunity? 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. Navigating Research with Undocumented Immigrants as an Undocumented Immigrant; Announcement of New Series! First generation college student Stephanie Gonzalez Tena spoke in favor of the restricted drivers license, saying she doesnt want her family to live in fear of driving. The law also requires the registrar and the Secretary of the Commonwealth to establish procedures and regulations to ensure that an applicant for a standard drivers license or learners permit who does not provide proof of lawful presence will not be automatically registered to vote. 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. too many, The following were the top donors who contributed to the committees in support of the measure.Cite error: Invalid tag; invalid names, e.g. width: 50%; If we already have a system in place that works, how would this be any different? Crighton asked. 4805) May 27, 2022" accessed May 27, 2022, Petition drive deadlines and requirements, Changes in 2022 to laws governing the initiative process, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Massachusetts_Question_4,_Remove_Proof_of_Citizenship_or_Immigration_Status_for_Driver%27s_License_Applications_Referendum_(2022)&oldid=9049900, Massachusetts 2022 ballot measures, certified, Veto referendum certified for the 2022 ballot, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. Applicants under the bill would need to provide proof of their identity, date of birth and residency in Massachusetts. You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org, On June 9, 2022, the Massachusetts General Court overrode Gov. But opponents have argued granting immigrants without legal status state-recognized identification would open the door for voter fraud in elections and would place too high a burden on the Registry of Motor Vehicles to verify foreign documents. The three-year initiative is called Transforming Narratives of Gun Violence, Effort to repeal immigrant driver's license law hits milestone ahead of ballot deadline, Massachusetts Ballot Question 2: What you need to know about proposed changes for dental insurance, Massachusetts Ballot Question 1: What you need to know about the millionaires tax, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at GBH, Transparency in Coverage Cost-Sharing Disclosures. 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driver's license for undocumented immigrants in massachusetts 2022