Bill would allow some undocumented immigrants to get driving permits

[TexasTowelie]

AUSTIN — The illegal immigration debate has reached a higher level in the Texas Legislature — thanks to an influential House Republican who filed a bill that would allow some undocumented immigrants get one-year driving permits.

Rep. Byron Cook, chairman of the powerful House State Affairs Committee and a top lieutenant of Speaker Joe Straus, filed House Bill 4063 just before Friday’s bill filing deadline for this year’s session.

Though Cook, R-Corsicana, didn’t return a call for comment, his bill was expected because in the 2013 session he successfully pushed for a similar proposal in the 13-member panel he chairs. The Legislature seriously considered the legislation Dallas Democratic Rep. Roberto Alonzo filed that year, but the clock ran out in the 140-day session.

HB 4063 is likely to get serious consideration in the Republican-dominated Legislature but could put the lower chamber on a collision course with the more conservative Texas Senate.

Read more: http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2015-03-13/bill-would-allow-some-undocumented-immigrants-get-driving-permits

[font color=green]Some wealthy ranchers must be concerned that they might have to forfeit their trucks if their employees were caught. One year is long enough that they don't have to worry about the ranch hands needing to go frequently to renew the licenses and short enough to keep the labor expendable.[/font]

[SheilaT]

1. I absolutely don't get the objection to undocumented immigrants getting drivers licenses.

I live in New Mexico, and we have LOTS of undocumented immigrants. Fortunately, this state lets them get legal driver's licenses, although our idiot Republican Governor (Susana Martinez, la Tejana) thinks their licenses should be done away with. As it is, my car insurance rates are higher here than they were in Kansas, because we have too many people driving without insurance. If the undocumented people can't get licenses, they will still be driving, but without licenses and without insurance. And that's a good thing because?

I suppose we could just deport every single undocumented person as soon as we find them, and of course if they apply for a driver's license we'll then get them, but somehow I think there must be a different -- and better -- solution.