Illinois May Grant Driver's Licenses To Illegal Immigrants

[Straight Shooter]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois may soon become the most populous U.S. state to grant a form of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, after the nation's growing Hispanic population boosted the power of Democrats in national and state elections on November 6.

A bipartisan group of Illinois politicians announced on Tuesday they would propose such a law when the legislature convenes on November 27.

Washington state and New Mexico are the only states that currently allow illegal immigrants to get licenses. Utah allows driving permits. As the fifth most populous state, Illinois would be the biggest state to adopt such a law.

A California law that allows immigrants with federal work permits to receive driver's licenses will take effect January 1, 2013.

Supporters said the law would be good for public safety, allowing Illinois immigrant motorists to get tested on their driving skills and buy insurance.

"When you have a quarter of a million undocumented drivers on the road, it's definitely a safety concern," said Ron Holmes, spokesman for Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, who is backing the measure along with fellow Democrats Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, a popular Republican, joined Democrats at a news conference in Chicago Tuesday to support the idea, as did Republican State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. It also has the support of the powerful House Speaker, Chicago Democrat Michael Madigan, giving it a good chance of passage.

The drive to pass the law follows the re-election of Democratic President Barack Obama, Democratic gains in the U.S. Senate and in the Illinois legislature with strong Hispanic support.

Since 2010, a handful of Republican-led states, notably border state Arizona, passed laws cracking down on illegal immigrants. But after this year's election, which saw an estimated 66 percent of Hispanics vote for Obama, Democrats and Republicans have said they want to work on an overhaul of federal immigration law.

Illinois, like California, elected a veto-proof Democratic supermajority in the legislature this month, with Democrats now controlling all branches of government.

Unlicensed, uninsured drivers are involved in almost 80,000 accidents in Illinois each year, resulting in $660 million in damage, according to the Illinois Highway Safety Coalition. Unlicensed immigrant drivers cost $64 million in damage claims alone.

The Safety Coalition said on its website that since New Mexico made the change in 2003, the rate of uninsured motorists fell from 33 percent to under 9 percent.

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, a Republican, has fought to outlaw such licenses since she took office in January 2011. She has argued that the state's law encouraged people to come to New Mexico from other states just to obtain driver's licenses.

Holmes said supporters of the Illinois measure are talking with law enforcement officials to make sure a license for undocumented immigrants would not be used for fraud.

The measure would expand to undocumented immigrants Illinois' existing temporary visitor driver's license, used by legal immigrants. The licenses are "visually distinct" from ordinary licenses, with a purple background and the words "not valid for identification" on the front, explained Lawrence Benito, chief executive of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

"This is a practical, commonsense approach," said Benito. He said supporters have been talking with Republicans in the legislature to try to get their support.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the number of Latinos in Illinois was over 2 million, or nearly 16 percent of the population.

Republicans in Illinois who have objected to the proposed law in the past could not be reached for comment.

http://news.yahoo.com/illinois-may-grant-drivers-licenses-illegal-immigrants-001637595.html

I live in IL and I support this mainly from a public safety standpoint. It'll make the roads much much safer

 

[bobjustbob]

Give them a license? They break the law by coming here. They break the law by driving without a license. I've got a better idea. Throw them the fuck out. Now you have 2 problems solved.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Give them a license? They break the law by coming here. They break the law by driving without a license. I've got a better idea. Throw them the fuck out. Now you have 2 problems solved.

Care to explain to me the logistics of deporting 12 million illegal immigrants? Because they're not all from Mexico believe it or not. More importantly, since everyone is now a fiscal hawk, how much would all of this cost? Wouldn't a pragmatic solution be to target our resources at illegal immigrants who pose a greater threat, such as criminals and those trying to enter the country now? It's not as simple as saying "throw them all out", this is a complex problem we are facing. Also, you're a conservative right? you guys are supposed to be all about the family so I find it ironic that now you have no problem breaking up families, some who have been here for 25-30 years

 

[Deepcover]

I don't think II should be granted a driver's license. They shouldn't even be in the country in the first place. If I was someone in power, I would crack down on that shit 100% and deport their illegal asses back to where they came from. Illegal aliens do not deserve spoiled privileges or entry.

 

[Straight Shooter]

I don't think II should be granted a driver's license. They shouldn't even be in the country in the first place. If I was someone in power, I would crack down on that shit 100% and deport their illegal asses back to where they came from. Illegal aliens do not deserve spoiled privileges or entry.

Once again, can you explain to me how you're going to find all of them? It sounds like you have it all figured out

 

[Deepcover]

Through good strong government work and assistance. Hell I would go on every talk show and address the issue just to get it through the short term memory's heads. Crack down on immigrants entering the country illegally, send them right back until they've been granted permission. Otherwise, they're tresspassing. Period.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Through good strong government work and assistance. Hell I would go on every talk show and address the issue just to get it through the short term memory's heads. Crack down on immigrants entering the country illegally, send them right back until they've been granted permission. Otherwise, they're tresspassing. Period.

Such as? you're still not giving me any specifics as to how you would bring 12 million illegal immigrants out from the shadows and then proceed to deport them en masse(reminder that they all aren't from Mexico)

 

[Rey C.]

I support a form on immigration reform that would provide a path to naturalized citizenship for those who have been here illegally for some extended period of time and have otherwise followed the laws of our nation. But I am very much opposed to any Federal, state or local laws which give them the legal means to ignore standing immigration laws. I don't agree with the extremist, racist, anti-immigrant (anti-Hispanic) groups, like the Minute Men, but I do see their general point. I sympathize with many of the people in the border states who feel that the government (Federal and some state) is not looking out for the interests of citizens first and foremost. Hopefully we'll be able to arrive at some solutions over the next couple of years, that does not include throwing the border open or bending to the wishes of racists and paranoid wingnuts.

Anyway, it just seems counter intuitive to suggest that someone can be here illegally, but there is a legal way for them to drive on the public roads. How can you fine a company for hiring an illegal resident, but then that same government that fines a company for hiring them passes out drivers' licenses to them??? :wtf: I understand that at least by passing the test to get licenses, they *may* become better/safer drivers. But as my experiences in CA and TX suggest, the ones who can't pass the test are going to drive (without insurance! ) anyway.

 

[Will E Worm]

Give them a license? They break the law by coming here. They break the law by driving without a license. I've got a better idea. Throw them the fuck out. Now you have 2 problems solved.

:goodpost:

Break the law and get rewarded?

They do not respect America or the laws of America.
They have proven this by being here illegally.

Deport them all!

 

[Little Red Wagon Repairman]

How can you license a person that's not supposed to be here?

 

[GibbsGrad2002]

No way!

 

[bobjustbob]

Throwing them out would only be part of a more comprehensive program of reform. It is unrealistic to think of finding and shipping them all back to wherever they came from. Still, the threat of finding these people and doing this must be on the table. To not do so, their only risk of coming here is not to be caught as they cross the boarder. Reform has to also include some sort of way to stay here but with penalties and a stricter filtering process. My Grand-Parents all took the legal way to get in here. To allow anyone to get the free pass to get in would be a slap in their faces.

As far as the family goes, Dad is putting the family at risk. I take no sympathy for him. If he decides to have children here he better be aware that he may be sent back. The kids will be US citizens but he has the choice of taking them back with him or leaving them here.

Immigrants built this country and we should welcome them here. But if you want to come here we have to know who you are BEFORE you come in, not after we track you down.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Only in as insane a politically correct country as this would we even be having such a discussion.

Once again, can you explain to me how you're going to find all of them? It sounds like you have it all figured out

One at a time.

Give them a license? They break the law by coming here. They break the law by driving without a license. I've got a better idea. Throw them the fuck out. Now you have 2 problems solved.

"have to spread reputation around before you can give it to bjb again"

 

[Mayhem]

All I know is when I want my car worked on, a home repair done or anything else that I'm spending money on, and I want it done right, I look for a Mexican or Korean to do it. I wind up paying less, and the job is done right the first time.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

All I know is when I want my car worked on, a home repair done or anything else that I'm spending money on, and I want it done right, I look for a Mexican or Korean to do it. I wind up paying less, and the job is done right the first time.

Yeah, those Mexicans are all so much more brilliant than us pasty Euro-Americans - funny we do so much to get away from them and they doubly try as hard to get into our communities - we're only the greatest creators in the history of humankind. May, if you like them so much and they are so clearly much more intelligent than us, why don't you move to Mexico? Oh, I forgot, even THEY don't want anything to do with their own shithole it is so shitty.

 

[Mayhem]

Yeah, those Mexicans are all so much more brilliant than us pasty Euro-Americans - funny we do so much to get away from them and they doubly try as hard to get into our communities - we're only the greatest creators in the history of humankind. May, if you like them so much and they are so clearly much more intelligent than us, why don't you move to Mexico? Oh, I forgot, even THEY don't want anything to do with their own shithole it is so shitty.

I'm not talking about Mexico. I'm talking about the hispanics (generally termed as "Mexicans) who live here. And for the record, I currently live in a predominately hispanic neighborhood and like it here just fine.

Also, I didn't say they are more brilliant, I said they do better work. I've gotten cheaper estimates on work I needed done, been treated more respectfully and with greater friendship, and had higher quality work done by hispanics and Koreans than I've had by white-owned businesses. All that is is empirical fact. If it wasn't the case, I wouldn't have said it.

And one quick word about American brilliance: it was American car companies who introduced us to the concept of pre-designed obsoloscence. Designing a car so that it died the moment the warranty expired - American brilliance at work. Again, empirical fact. Wave that flag. Wave it wide and high.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

I'm not talking about Mexico. I'm talking about the hispanics (generally termed as "Mexicans) who live here. And for the record, I currently live in a predominately hispanic neighborhood and like it here just fine.

Also, I didn't say they are more brilliant, I said they do better work. I've gotten cheaper estimates on work I needed done, been treated more respectfully and with greater friendship, and had higher quality work done by hispanics and Koreans than I've had by white-owned businesses. All that is is empirical fact. If it wasn't the case, I wouldn't have said it.

And one quick word about American brilliance: it was American car companies who introduced us to the concept of pre-designed obsoloscence. Designing a car so that it died the moment the warranty expired - American brilliance at work. Again, empirical fact. Wave that flag. Wave it wide and high.

Chickenshit nonsense. Folks, what his original post said was "Euro(white)-Americans are an incompetent, lazy, weak bunch of people that can't do the job I need done."

Chickenshit motherfucker.

 

[assari]

This comment certainly sounds stupid, but in my view it is also America's own fault that you have so many illegal immigrants.

If millions of people are able to cross the border without permission it means that those individuals who guard the border are sleeping.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Chickenshit nonsense. Folks, what his original post said was "Euro(white)-Americans are an incompetent, lazy, weak bunch of people that can't do the job I need done."

Chickenshit motherfucker.

Umm... I read his original post and none of that was said

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Umm... I read his original post and none of that was said

Total falsehood.