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Subscribe to RSSLegislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for Illinois driver’s licenses passed through the House Transportation Committee Monday morning and heads to the floor.
Under the plan, drivers could obtain three-year licenses, called Temporary Visitor Driver’s Licenses. They would be required to take driver's education and purchase car insurance. Lawmakers believe there are as many as 250,000 undocumented immigrants on Illinois roads and that more than 40 percent of deadly Illinois crashes involve drivers who don't have a license.
"Unlicensed, uninsured drivers pose a serious risk to every driver and passenger on Illinois roadways," Secretary of State Jesse White and State Police Director Hiram Grau in a joint statement. "We can do better – and save lives - by requiring all drivers to have licenses."
White and Grau said in the statement that approving the plan would also lower insurance rates and strengthen the economy "from the work and buying power of all of our state’s residents."
New Mexico and Washington, which have passed similar laws, have seen traffic accidents involving uninsured drivers plummet, they said.
In November, state politicians -- including Gov. Pat Quinn, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Senate President John Cullerton, House Republican Leader Tom Cross and former Illinois governors Jim Edgar and James Thompson -- joined to support the bill. Twenty-eight Chicago aldermen have also signed a resolution in support of the bill.
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Or, we could just round them up and send them home where they belong. That would make the streets even safer yet.
Jeffersonian3,I agree with your comments.Politicians aren't really concerned with people being safe on the roads.They are only interested in the revenue.I doubt that many undocumented drivers will be willing to pay for drivers ed courses or auto insurance as long as they've gotten away with driving without a license in the first place.We have the same problem in California,accidents by unlicensed and uninsured illegals.
Notice the work 'illegal' has conveniently been converted to 'undocumented' in this age. Round the vagrants up and SEND THEM PACKING. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE????
Or, ... we could look at the issue pragmatically, and recognize that the rest of us as motorists are physically safer and financially better protected if people behind the wheel of an automobile are qualified, and duly licensed drivers and that they are insured (regardless of their immigration status). Let's not let our emotions get ahead of our common sense.
It's not as simple as they paint it here in WA, illegals get DLs but most never get insurance, they abuse the system here and not just the DL, they apply multiple times for any and all GUBment assistance available.
Just stop by any Walmart and watch as they check out, they will use several different EBT cards, watched one use 5 different WIC vouchers at one time, to pay for 2 carts full of food. When I asked cashier how is that legal all she could say "quietly" was they do it all the time and management won't stop it because of the revenue. Money Money Money
This has to stop NOW, people will abuse the systems as long as they can get away with it, they have no fear of deportation here in WA and if they do get caught breaking the law they just "disappear" for a little while and start over with new IDs. Local farmers are even having a hard time finding ones who don't have to work of the "books" so it doesn't mess up their disability or L&I. These aren't migrant laborers, these are flat out illegals and they just don't care and have no problem getting in anyone's face about it. It's like the locals have become afraid to say anything because the illegals know they are basically untouchable and they know it, the younger ones are the worst.
Farmers are even having a hard time finding ones who don't have to work of the "books"? they know they are basically untouchable and they know it??? Walmart management is participating in criminal behavior? Truth be told they do the best work so they thrive.
Apparently you have never seen how they drive in Mexico City.
Bingo! Unintended consequences abound. This will, of course, require a law to fix the fix.
This is the wrong way. They state that 40% of the deadly crashes involve people without licenses. Do you really believe that if you give them a D.L. then this will reduce the 40% death rate? This is stupid. All illegals need to be picked up and deported. All of them. When are they going to deport Obama's illegal Aunt and illegal Uncle?
A lot of you are quick to cite "facts." Lots and lots of "facts" ...which in actuality are opinions, anecdotes and conjectures. Well, OK, let me join you in that and posit my own:
* The fact is, you do not know the immigration status of these people whom you disdain.
* The fact is, you see a brown face and you assume "illegal."
* The fact is, you hear a person struggling with English and you assume "illegal."
* The fact is, you are predisposed to fear and loathing of those who don't look and sound just like you (aka: xenophobia)
These "facts" say nothing at all about the immigrants, whom you so quickly characterize. But they speak volumes about your own characters .
No I do know the immigration status of those I'm talking about because
1 I get to deal with them personally
2 I live in a big farming community and have lot friends who are farmers that deal with them as well.
3 They don't hide the fact that they are here ILLEGALLY.
If I see a brown face it's most likely a family member, because between First Nations, African, Latino, and Asian heritages there is a lot of brown around the dinner table.
If I hear a person struggling with English I may be in class with a lot of legal foreign exchange students or talking to my stepmother who immigrated to the US LEGALLY USING THE SYSTEM WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR THAT PURPOSE, and guess what it works just fine.
WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DON"T YOU GET?????????????
Robbob-1667446
Oh, I get it. And the "fact" is it has nothing whatsoever to do with "illegal." What it's actually all about is hate, intolerance, paranoia and irrational xenophobia ( and all of this directed at our fellow human beings ). What part of all of that don't you get?
PS. Typing in all caps is shouting. Being loud doesn't make your expressed point of view more valid.
Yo Oregon, if you are soooo supportive of taking care of all the ILLEGALS, yes they are illegals, why don't we just round them up and ship off to your house.
Yes I hate illegals, got no problem with immigrants who come here legally using the system we have in place, guess what it works. I do hate people who refuse to follow the rules, those that blatantly abuse our laws and take from government programs they have no right to.
As above yes hate illegals, tolerate them because I live in a sanctuary state, not paranoid at all it very much in my face every day, xenophobic not in the least bit, obviously you can't read, I'm mixed race and can proudly say most nationalities are represented in my family.
See you have the same problem most libs have, we say ILLEGAL and you hear or read Latino/Mexican, when we don't give one rats azz where they are from, it's that they are here ILLEGALLY and you libs pander to them.
I would live nothing more than see our government grow a pair and start rounding all of them up and shipping them back to WHAT EVER country they are from, but alas when our Prez has family living here ILLEGALLY you can't expect much.
If their status is not lawful then their presence is not legal. I understand a young girl wants a license and a job, but so do our daughters. We have been here for generations and even if relatively new immigrants they must have legally come here in order to have these privileges. Our government is committing treason against it's citizens in my opinion. Obama sold us out.
This will also give them the picture ID to allow them to vote.
Frankie,That is exactly what we in California have been saying about them being able to vote.California,my state,is going to allow kids whose parents brought them to the U.S. illegally,to apply for drivers licenses along with scholarships to college(state ones included),paid by none other than the taxpayer's. It's part of the Dream Act.Isn't that just wonderful that our country rolls out the red carpet to those who enter our country uninvited.My Dream Act would be to deport those who are here illegally so Americans can have those jobs that our politicians claim we won't do.Those jobs that Americans have done for decades before employers realized that illegals would do them for cents on the dollar.
This is just wrong.
This is the camel's nose in the tent. Soon enough, the American people will be tossed out, and the 'illegals' will have everything they want, comfortable inside the tent, protected and safe by the very laws meant to protect Americans and help them in their times of need.
It will be the rest of us outside, in the constant blowing sand storm, being stripped of our rights and access to what we are literally paying into. While the politicians continue to ensure they stay in office, getting support from all who want those "undocumented"-AKA ILLEGAL ALIENS, to remain.
Unless Americans wake up and smell the horse manure being shoveled at us, and put pressure on all those trying to pass such laws, we will wake up one day and discover this is the United States of Mexico's Northern Territory by default. In case you didn't know,that is what Mexico's official title is. We still are the United States of America. But we sure are not a united people anymore.
So they will be rewarded for being in the country illegally by giving them drivers licenses. That alone will not guarantee that they will get auto insurance. And as far as lowering insurance rates who are you guys trying to kid.
Even if this stupid law passes, the illegal immigrants aren't going to go to a DMV to get their license. They will keep driving with no valid driver's license and no insurance. Our government likes to bend over backwards for people who are not in this country legally. Our country has gone to crap and I don't see it improving any time soon.
Only in America do we reward people for breaking the law.
Illinois is broke. The country is also broke. How about cutting off all aid to the illegals. That sure would send a message that they don't belong here.
where else in the world if you were an illegal would you be able to get a drivers license legally?.....it just shows how stupid they are in Illinois and why the State is about bankrupt from the dumb politicians
Why not just wait till they come in for their license and deport them back to their little crap-hole country?
Because the DMV is largely populated with Democrats.
If they're already driving without a license, why would they bother with getting one? Or why would anyone think they're going to bother getting insurance?
Is there a plan in place to prevent them from using it a valid ID as a citizen? Is it going to have a big red 'I' for Illegal on it?
By the way, they're Illegal Aliens. Not Undocumented Immigrants. Deport them all. Send their anchor babies with them. If they want to live here, do it legally.
Giving illegal immigrants a drivers license bypasses one chance of catching them and deporting them -- when they come to apply for the license. Once they get the license, then it is much easier for them to disappear into the population and move somewhere else where they might be undetected. Make those licenses a bright orange color and print the words "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT" across the face of them so every cop will know who they're dealing with. It would be much easier to just deport or jail them when they come to apply for the license in the first place.
This is fantastic, now we give Mexicans & other races from other country's another reason to come here illegally. How about giving them a free education and medical care too? Oh yeah, we are already doing that. And we wonder why are country is broke.