Posted on 08/30/2004 7:16:45 AM PDT by kellynla
Illegal immigrants seeking a California driver's license under new legislation would face tougher background checks than most U.S. citizens, including screening by federal anti-terrorism authorities and the required submission of fingerprints, bill sponsors said Saturday.
The Immigrant Responsibility and Security Act, which lawmakers approved in the final hours of the legislative session Friday, would require background checks by the state Department of Justice, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Doctors, lawyers and teachers undergo similar scrutiny during licensing, said the bill's author, Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles). Criminal records would disqualify applicants for a license.
"This would be the safest and strictest license issued in America," Cedillo said Saturday.
However, the likelihood that the legislation will become law Jan. 1 appears slim. A day after the Senate approved the measure, a spokeswoman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would scuttle the bill because it did not require a notation on the license identifying the holder as an illegal immigrant. "This legislation does not address his security concerns," said spokeswoman Margita Thompson.
Supporters of the bill opposed inclusion of the notation signifying illegal status, saying it would serve no security function and would lead to discrimination.
Despite the governor's vow to veto the measure, the Senate approved it 21 to 14, and the Assembly voted 42 to 35 in favor. Nine months ago, both houses voted to repeal a similar law signed by Gov. Gray Davis weeks before he was recalled from office.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Schwarzenegger was scheduled to leave for the Republican National Convention in New York on Saturday and not return until Wednesday. That would make Bustamante the acting governor and allow him to approve legislation."
Holy crap! Are you serious? You may have been righ, Arnold should stay home. It would be a travesty of justice if the Republican convention ...allows this to happen. LOL
This seems ridiculous. Does Kalifornia law allow such things to happen?
I knew Bustamonte when he was involved in that POS group La Raza at Fresno State. I would like to see Arnold stay here and use a live video feed to the RNC convention thus keeping Bustamonte away from signing anything.
ping
Let Bustamante try and sign this legislation -- CA will send the RATs packing in this election like they will not believe IMHO. That would be one dumb move but then we are talking about Bustamante.
Would love to see the Republican Senate candidate run on the fact the RATs passed this legislation while the Governor was at the Republican Convention and how you can never trust a Democrat!
Yes... many years ago, Conservative Republican Mike Curb (remember the Mike Curb Congregation?) signed a couple things while Governor Moonbeam was out of state.
I would assume being in the country ILLEGALLY would give them a criminal record.
I don't know but I thought my fellow FR Californians should at least be aware of the possibility!
BTW for those of us FReepers who are CA natives, I would appreciate it if you would spell the state correctly. Thanks
We still have the largest Republican base in the USA.
While the Govenator is away, the rats will play.
Yeah, It would be great if they signed this crap. Bustamante would be handing the Republicans a hammer they could beat the Democraps with for years to come.
This legislation has zero support outside of Sacramento.
Well, I just received an email from
http://www.saveourlicense.com
and I haven't had any time to research it but I thought you guys should be aware of the possibility.
Excuse me for seeming harsh, but... Fingerprint 'em, check their backgrounds and then pack their butts off to where they came from. And don't let them back in without satisfying immigration laws.
No driver licenses, no healthcare, no Social Security benefits, especially with Greenspan encouraging Congress to make "responsible" and sweeping reforms that will screw me out of my 32 years (and counting) payments to SS.
You bozos want to reform SS? Then abandon your cushy pension and healthcare systems, and subject your lyin' selves the same systems that are "good enough" for the rest of us. Then, quit paying benefits to people who shouldn't be receiving them in the first place, people who are rotting in prison, and illegals.
Would they be so bold as to defy the obvious will of the People?
Of course. Anyone opposed to this is a racist.
Please accept apologies from one who lives in Taxachusetts.
This is the email I received from "Save Our License"
Lt. Governor Could Sign
Driver's License Bill into Law
The saga over driver's licenses for illegal aliens continues as the article below indicates. Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante could sign the measure into law while the Governor is in New York for the Republican National Convention.
Following is Bustamante's contact information.
Email: Bustamante does not provide a public email address. There is a feedback form on his website: http://www.ltg.ca.gov/feedback/index.asp
State Capitol
State Capitol, Room 1114
Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: (916) 445-8994
Fax: (916) 323-4998
Central Valley
2550 Mariposa Mall, Room 5006
Fresno, CA 93721
Telephone: (559) 445-5501
Fax: (559) 445-5415
Los Angeles
300 South Spring Street, Suite 12702
Los Angeles,CA 90013
Telephone: (213) 897-7086
Fax: (213) 897-7156
San Diego
701 "B" Street, Suite 376
San Diego, CA 92101
Telephone: (619) 525-4305
Fax: (619) 525-4071
What's the difference in that and the Bush amnesty against the will of the people?
Why doesn"t Arnold just veto it before he leaves?
There continues to be TWO LEGAL SYSTEMS in this country. The one that applies to you and I, legal and naturalized citizens of this country....AND one that applies to criminals whose vote is needed to win elections, while being supported by our tax dollars.
A sad freakin' situation courtesy of the Washington cartel.
There was another situation like this in California, where the governor was away, and I don't remember who, did this same trick. It did not last long, and niether did the clown that tried it. These far-leftist liberals will DO ANYTHING to gain votes.
Do you know how difficult it would be to reverse this law if Bustamante signs this bill???
You obviously don't live here.
yeah, like last weeks ghost-voting .50 cal situation.
what came of that? never heard a word in the press.
I'd have thought that ( if it were true ) there would have been car bombings this week.
turn the water a little hotter on the frog pot. . . .?
No but I used to and I still believe that a lot of people in CA will be absolutely furious at this and will take it out on the RATs. I would say Arnold is not someone I would want to mess with if I were Bustamante!
That was my feeling when I first read this -- I think the average Californian is going to go through the roof if Bustamante signs this bill. Guess the Recall of Davis still hasn't registered with Bustamante even though he was roundly defeated!
You have to live here to realize that this whole process is not about giving the illegals the privilege of a CA driver's license but about "motor voter."
We all know that anyone who is licensed to drive in Mexico or anywhere else in the world is allowed to drive a vehicle in CA or anywhere else in America.
What the 'Rats are trying to do is get the illegals an "end run" to get a CA driver's license so they can go to the next window and REGISTER TO VOTE!!!
This is all about registering illegals to vote and nothing to do with driver's licenses.
This possibility also is worrisome in light of the Dem dirty tricks that passed AB-50, the .50 caliber rifle ban. Got a souvenir .50 cal round from your dear departed Vietnam Vet brother? Get ready to deal with the police about it if AB-50 passes.
Well, the problem is CA has been gerrymandered into completely safe districts, assuring a Dem majority no matter what. The only Republican holding statewide office is Arnold, and he only won because he's a celebrity.
No, I'm afriad that if La Raza's favorite son signs this legislation, the negative impact to the Dems will be nil.
No I don't but I was wondering about it. Want to tell how difficult it will be?
Absolutely right. The Dems are hell bent to get this thing passed, no matter what.
ping
Yeah, but would the pubbies pick it up and use it? They consistently haven't shown any resistance to Rats up till now.
I was wondering if the Governor could file suit in court through his AG (although Lockyer is an @ss) and request an injunction until voters decide or the legislature submits a new bill.
There should be legal recourses a Governor has for this sort of thing.
In Californica, criminal and illegal aren't the same. I think it's a Hollywierd thing...
California citizens have three tools to keep their elected officials in line. They are Recall, Initiative, and Referendum.
Recall is the power to fire an elected official (a la Gray Davis)
Initiative is the power to put a proposition on the ballot for a new law via the petition process (a la Prop 13).
Referendum is the power to overturn legislation put in place by the State Legislature & Governor. This is what would be used to overturn the Driver's Licenses for Illegals Law. It would take approximately 1 million signatures to get it on the ballot. The law would stay in abeyance until after the election.
If the Republicans don't use it, then they are incompetent to say the least!
That's what I was thinking, but if Bustamante signs the bill into law the only thing we could do would be to get a court injunction and a stay until a referendum could be voted on to reverse the law...right???
kind of clumsy verbage but I think you understand where I'm going. LOL
Any laws passed by the California State Legislature do not go into effect until 1 January 2005. The petition deadline would be before that - so once sufficient petitions to get the law on the ballot are in, the law won't go into effect at all until after the next state-wide election.
Thanx.
That's a question to be addressed to his Amen Choir on here. There's probably some convoluted "strategery" behind his innaction.
The same that had him prevent the petition from permanently ending this issue last year.
However, while it might help Bustamante, it would be terrible for the Democrats. A new referendum drive would immediately kick off, just like last time, and it would quickly garner the necessary signatures to block the bill from going into effect, just like last time.
Arnold was able to get the state legislature to repeal their previous law because the Democrats knew it would overwhelming lose at the polls, and they had a better chance of working out a compromise with Arnold. But Arnold's bottom-line compromise position requires some distinguising mark on the driver's license, and that defeats the purpose of the sponsors of the measure. Still, their best hope is to keep sending variations to Arnold until eventually he signs something.
If Bustamante signs the bill in Arnold's absence, the resulting referendum will destroy it at the polls by about 70%, making it almost impossible to pass in the future. Furthermore, several Democratic seats will be lost to Republicans in the November election because of the voter backlash. And if Arnold wants to push through any other initiatives (e.g., a part-time legislature or government re-organization) he'll be able to call a special election next year for them and have the driver's license referendum on the ballot at the same time to spike up conservative turnout.
So those who oppose this measure shouldn't worry too much about what Bustamante does or doesn't do. Either way, it will never go into effect, and it will ultimately hurt the Democrats much more if Bustamante signs it than if he does nothing and lets Arnold veto it.
This is all about registering illegals to vote and nothing to do with driver's licenses"""
Most Calif citizens do not realize that it is current LAW that anyone who is in DMV for a drivers license MUST be talked to about registering to vote. SOP for DMV employees to follow.
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