California: Governor vetoes undocumented driver's license bill [AB60]

Sarasota Herald-Tribune ^ | Tuesday, October 1, 2002 | DON THOMPSON

[heleny]

Governor vetoes undocumented driver's license bill

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press Writer

Gov. Gray Davis vetoed legislation letting some illegal immigrants obtain California driver's licenses Monday, as he completed action on some of the most controversial bills sent to his desk this fall.

The governor's politically charged decision forced him to weigh what he said were increased security risks from licensing non-citizens after last year's terrorist attacks against the urging of immigrant rights groups that said it would make California's highways safer.

Davis demanded a series of safeguards, including fingerprint background checks and cooperation with the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service.

That angered Hispanic groups vital to his re-election campaign. Earlier in the day, however, Davis signed legislation supported by Hispanic groups giving increased bargaining power to farmworkers.

Legislators reluctantly amended the driver's license bill to comply with the governor's concerns as they rushed to adjourn a month ago.

But Davis enumerated five specific loopholes in addition to a handful of other areas where he said the language still fell short of what he had requested. Without those safeguards, Davis said the bill was too dangerous.

"The tragedy of Sept. 11 made it abundantly clear that the driver's license is more than just a license to drive; it is one of the primary documents we use to identify ourselves," Davis said in his veto message. "Unfortunately, a driver's license was in the hands of terrorists who attacked America on that fateful day."

The bill's author, Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, had said the revised legislation should have been enough to not only satisfy Davis, but was actually improved by lawmakers.

California highways would be safer by having all drivers trained and insured, said proponents. But in addition to Davis' security concerns, opponents complained licenses encouraged illegal immigration and gave a state privilege to lawbreakers.

Davis had until midnight Monday to act on the legislation, which took on huge symbolic importance for immigrants, particularly groups representing California's large Mexican population.

Cedillo initially estimated as many as 1 million of the state's roughly 3 million undocumented immigrants would be eligible, though his staff subsequently acknowledged the actual number could be far lower.

Just 130,000 people applied to adjust their status to permanent residents or extend temporary visitor visas in all of California, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona over the last year, according to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

[heleny]

Another AP article -- similar but shorter:

Calif. Gov. Vetoes License Bill

Tuesday October 1, 2002 5:00 AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Gov. Gray Davis vetoed legislation Monday letting many illegal immigrants obtain California driver's licenses.

The decision forced Davis to weigh what he said were increased security risks from licensing non-citizens after last year's terrorist attacks against the urging of immigrant rights groups.

Davis had demanded a series of safeguards, including fingerprint background checks and cooperation with the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service, angering Hispanic groups vital to his re-election campaign.

Legislators reluctantly amended legislation to comply with the governor's concerns as they rushed to adjourn a month ago, but aides to the governor said the language still fell short of what he had requested.

The bill's author, Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, countered that the revised legislation should be enough to not only satisfy Davis, but was improved by lawmakers.

California highways would be safer by having all drivers trained and insured, proponents said. But besides Davis' security concerns, opponents complained licenses encourage illegal immigration.

Davis had until midnight Monday to act on the legislation. The bill took on huge symbolic importance for immigrants, particularly groups representing California's large Mexican population.

Cedillo initially estimated as many as a million of the state's roughly 3 million undocumented immigrants would be eligible, though his staff subsequently acknowledged the actual number could be far lower.

Just 130,000 people applied to adjust their status to permanent resident or extend temporary visitor visas in all of California, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona over the last year, according to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

---

Thank goodness! Davis knew signing AB60 would be too hot politically!

[heleny]

an earlier thread:

Illegal alien driver's licenses in California
American Patrol | 9/30/02 | Tancredo Fan
Posted on 09/30/2002 9:54 PM Pacific by Tancredo Fan

The word is that California Governor Gray Davis has vetoed California AB60, the bill that would have allowed illegal alien invaders to get driver's licenses. Will wonders never cease.

[Sabertooth]

Thank goodness for the courageous leadership of the Republican National Committee in opposing this legislation.

[Carry_Okie]

This is as strong a sign of Bray Davis' desperation as I have seen.

[Shermy]

LOL!

The only thing this proves is that Davis' price was too high for the transportation industry. Someone said Simon supports the bill...wonder what happened there? Republicans sold into their camp?

Lanscaping...drywall...construction industries...next target - truckers. Pretty soon we'll be a banana republic without a middle class.

[Marine Inspector]

California - FY 2001 INS Apprehensions by Country
Armenia	34	Australia	4	Austria	3	Azerbaijan	1
Bahamas	2	Bangladesh	2	Barbados	2	Belgium	2
Belize	45	Bermuda	1	Bolivia	13	Brazil	368
Bulgaria	24	Burma	1	Byelarus	2	Cameroon	1
Canada	359	Chile	27	China	144	Colombia	51
Costa Rica	15	Cuba	103	Czech Republic	2	Czechoslovakia	4
Dominican Republic	6	Ecuador	92	Egypt	8	El Salvador	1,238
Ethiopia	14	Fiji	76	France	5	Gabon	1
Georgia	3	Germany	19	Ghana	3	Greece	3
Guatemala	886	Guinea	2	Guyana	1	Haiti	5
Homduras	575	Hong Kong	3	Hungary	2	India	85
Indonesia	10	Iran	41	Iraq	8	Ireland	4
Israel	14	Italy	9	Ivory Coast	2	Jamaica	48
Japan	11	Jordan	11	Kampuchea	69	Kazakhstan	3
Kenya	3	Kuwait	1	Laos	90	Latvia	1
Lebanon	26	Libya	1	Macau	1	Malaysia	12
Mexico	315,386	Moldova	4	Mongolia	1	Netherlands	4
New Zealand	3	Nicaragua	104	Nigeria	17	North Korea	2
Oman	3	Pakistan	17	Palestine	1	Panama	9
Papya New Guinea	2	Paraguay	5	Peru	61	Philippines	307
Poland	19	Portugal	13	Romania	10	Russia	32
Saudi Arabia	2	Senegal	1	Sierra Leone	3	Singapore	1
Slovakia	6	Somalia	1	South Africa	4	South Korea	82
Spain	3	Sri Lanka	1	St. Kitts-Nevis	1	St. Vincent - Grenadines	8
Sudan	4	Sweden	2	Syria	26	Taiwan	10
Thailand	32	Tonga	19	Trinidad and Tobago	29	Tunisia	1
Turkey	15	Uganda	3	Ukraine	37	United Kingdom	49
Uruguay	1	Uzbekistan	4	Venezuela	13	Vietnam	213
Western Samoa	4	Yemen	4	Yugoslavia	6	Zimbabwe	3
Total = 321,198

Marine Inspector

[usadave]

California - FY 2001 INS Apprehensions by Country

Mexico = 315,386

St. Kitts-Nevis = 1

I demand that all illegal aliens from St. Kitts-Nevis who are presently roaming freely throughout California be immediately rounded up and deported!

[WRhine]

Thank goodness for the courageous leadership of the Republican National Committee in opposing this legislation.

Yes, they are a courageous bunch aren't they? LOL. Whatever happened to the Reagan Legacy of taking on and Beating liberals on their own Home Turf? The game of Eternal Defense will never work for Republicans, especially when the Democrats are taking all their Real Estate.

[Marine Inspector]

I demand that all illegal aliens from St. Kitts-Nevis who are presently roaming freely throughout California be immediately rounded up and deported!

SIR, YES SIR

Hey PsyOp, if you run into any illegals from St. Kitts-Nevis, give me a cal, I'll come get them.

LOL

[Marine Inspector]

Get this, in Connecticut, the INS arrested more Jamaicans (156) then Mexicans (130). Why the hell are Jamaicans hanging out in Connecticut?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

calgov2002:

calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. 

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register

[heleny]

Wow, apprehending 321 thousand is only a tenth of the 3 million illegal aliens estimated to live in CA by Cedillo in the article, or only 5% of other estimates of 6-7 million illegal aliens in CA.

Are those apprehended aliens the ones actually deported, or does it include those who "disappear" before the deportation hearings?

[Mo1]

VOTE THE RATS OUT!!

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[Marine Inspector]

I don't know the actual breakdown, but approximately 90 to 95 % of the apprehensions are from the Border Patrol and are returned to there country of citizenship.

The other 5 to 10 % are apprehended by Criminal Investigators, Immigration Agents, Deportation Officers or Detention Officers and I would say the majority are removed from the US.

I'm sure some are released due to lack of detention space and disappear and some are released by judges.

[meadsjn]

This is an average of over 7,750 illegal aliens entering the United States undetected daily.

Here are some numbers to help put this into perspective:

US and Allied troops that invaded Normandy in 1944 = 250,000+

US troops that invaded Okinawa in 1945 = 550,000+

Illegal aliens that have invaded the United States since October 1st 2001 = 2.3 million +

---

From your home page - which appears to be under construction, but already paints a spooky picture. Great work!

[Marine Inspector]

Thank you.

It will be a work in progress for the next month or so. I will be adding to it each day. Once I've got FY 2001, I'll go to work on FY 2000.

Most people don't realize the magnitude of the numbers of illegals coming across the border. But, once they see them side to side with another historical event, it gives the situation a whole new meaning.

Thanks again and keep checking back.

[meadsjn]

I've got it bookmarked.

Your counter doesn't appear to be incrementing. You might want to know how many hits it's getting.

[Joe Hadenuf]

The governor's politically charged decision forced him to weigh what he said were increased security risks from licensing non-citizens after last year's terrorist attacks against the urging of immigrant rights groups that said it would make California's highways safer.

Correction, this little bastard and his lies....This should have read:

The governor's politically charged decision forced him to weigh what he said were increased security risks from licensing non-citizens after last year's terrorist attacks and at the urging of politically uncorrect, anti illegal alien groups, that are not afraid to speak out and tell these traitors in Sacramento exactly how they feel.

[PsyOp]

"St. Kitts-Nevis"

Couple of questions:

1) Where the heck is St. Kitts-Nevis?

2) What the heck doea a St. Kitts-Nevisite look like.

[Marine Inspector]

Your counter doesn't appear to be incrementing. You might want to know how many hits it's getting.

I noticed that the other day, but have yet to figure out what’s wrong.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Thank goodness for the courageous leadership of the Republican National Committee in opposing this legislation.

Oh, and that forceful, late night telephone call from President Bush, surely helped Gray Davis change his mind. Thanks for all the help, President Bush......

[Marine Inspector]

1) Where the heck is St. Kitts-Nevis?

Right here.

2) What the heck does a St. Kitts-Nevisite look like.

They are very dangerous, so if you run into one, call me. I'm a professional.

[SierraWasp]

Something for your "Bush Doctrine Unfolds?"

I think this article should be VERY REVEALING!!! (thought/discussion provoking)

[usadave]

Get this, in Connecticut, the INS arrested more Jamaicans (156) then Mexicans (130). Why the hell are Jamaicans hanging out in Connecticut?

I wonder if it could have anything to do with the fact that the state motto of Connecticut is "We love Jamaicans!". Just kidding. It does seem kind of odd though to have more Jamaican illegal aliens caught in Connecticut than Mexican illegal aliens. Perhaps there is a large employer there, maybe a janitorial company, that is owned by a Jamaican-American and he is trying to help out "his people" by hiring them to work for his company.

[PsyOp]

I think I can handle that deportation myself.

[Marine Inspector]

I think I can handle that deportation myself.

That is a negative, dangerous illegals like this one, must be HANDELED by the professionals.

[Marine Inspector]

This is what I found: Jamaican Posse Information.

"History: The Jamaican Posse entered the drug and weapons scene in the early 80s. Prior to 1986, they were involved in guns and marijuana. They are now into the crack market. The centers of trafficking are New York and Miami, with Connecticut's major cities as secondary distribution points (Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport). Thus, we have seen an influx of Posse members incarcerated in the state, usually on drug or weapons related crimes."

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

This is as strong a sign of Bray Davis' desperation as I have seen.

Everything Dufus does is with an eye on a run for President in 2008. He can't afford to have any blemishes on his record insofar as national security is concerned. The Republicans would bludgeon him with it, and it is quite likely that terrorism will be an even more siginficant issue in the minds of the electorate by then.

[wardaddy]

Would that my state of Tennessee had the same wisdom.

[hosepipe]

3 million illegal aliens in Calif. alone... No wonder the state can't find them to deport them. They must be hiding somewhere....

[janetgreen]

Looking at the figures on your home page, I understand better now why some Freepers from other states think that we border state people are crazy (or racist). I urge everyone to look at the figures, maybe you'll understand better why we are so concerned, overwhelmed, and SICK AND TIRED OF IT.

[Mad Dawgg]

"They are very dangerous, so if you run into one, call me. I'm a professional."

No I am a Professional with 25 yrs. on the Job Experience...

Call me Immediately my number is 1-800-hot-stuff

[janetgreen]

Yeah, they're hiding - in every fast food place, in the kitchen at every restaurant, on every contruction site, in every auto body shop, in every gardener's business, in every home cleaning business, they're hiding in homes as nannies, in every store you go into, they're on most street corners, they're hanging out where they can get their fake drivers' licenses and fake birth certificates, they're filling our prisons and our schools, they're choking our emergency care services, they're in long lines at the welfare and child services offices, the list goes on. Yeah, it's a wonder that they can't be found for deportation.

[Marine Inspector]

Once I get all the States up, you'll see that close to 90% of the illegal alien problems come from Arizona, California and Texas.

Keep checking back, I'll be adding to the site daily. And don’t forget to spread the word.

Semper Fi,

Marine Inspector

[janetgreen]

Will do!

[Marine Inspector]

No I am a Professional with 25 yrs. on the Job Experience...

25 yrs. experience in what. An illegal like this one must be HANDELED very carefully, they are extremely dangerous and could turn on you in a minute. Most people would be putty in the hands of an illegal like this one. What is needed is a hardened professional like me.

[Mad Dawgg]

"What is needed is a hardened professional like me."

Yea well just looking at her picture I am just as hard...

Wait...

No, I mean...

Err, nevermind...

[Marine Inspector]

LOL.

[PsyOp]

"No I am a Professional with 25 yrs. on the Job Experience..."

I'm an amature. I need the practice. But you two can watch and tell what I'm doing right or wrong. Nothing like a little OJT!

[Luis Gonzalez]

Cuba=103.

What's that about?

How can there be illegals from Cuba?

If the INS got them, they where here, if they're here, they have "dry feet", if they have "dry feet", they get asylum.

Or am I wrong?

[Marine Inspector]

The only thing I can think of is that they had committed some kind of crime and therefore violated their immigration status.

I would assume they are in jail awaiting a judges decision. I know we send some back, but it is not many.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Pk, that would make sense.

Except you would think the arrest would have been made by law enforcement, not the INS.

[Marine Inspector]

Except you would think the arrest would have been made by law enforcement, not the INS.

What happens is, the alien commits a crime and is arrested. Our (the INS) Criminal Investigators or Immigration Agents are supposed to visit the local jails and see if their are any illegals. If they find one, they serve a detainer to the local authorities, that requires them to contact the INS when the alien is to be released. At that time the INS goes and picks up the alien and takes the alien into INS custody for the INS violation.

I would bet that this is what happened in these cases.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Has to be.

[Marine Inspector]

I just put up Florida’s numbers, go check them out.

Marine Inspector

[Pelham]

What does it tell you when Gray Davis is able to stake out a position to the right of the RNC?