New York state would become the 13th state to permit driver’s licenses for immigrants who entered the country illegally under legislation passed the state Assembly Wednesday.
The measure has the support of liberal groups, the state’s largest business organization and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat. Yet its fate remains uncertain in the state Senate, which has not scheduled a vote on the bill.
During floor debate in the Assembly, Democrats argued that immigrant families deserve to have the same ability to drive given to other New Yorkers. Licensing immigrants, they said, would improve road safety and help the businesses that rely on immigrant employees.
“This bill is common sense,” said Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, D-Bronx and sponsor of the legislation. “It is in the best interests of the entire state of New York and it responds to the contributions of our immigrant families.”
Republicans countered that the state has no duty to give licenses to immigrants who broke federal immigration laws. Some also questioned whether immigrants would use the licenses to try to register to vote, or whether terrorists might seek to obtain a state license
Wednesday’s vote in the Assembly was 86-47.
The bill is backed by the Business Council of New York State, the state’s largest business organization, as well as several labor unions. Cuomo said Wednesday that he’ll sign if it passes the Senate before lawmakers adjourn next week.
In other legislative news Wednesday:
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RENT RULES: Cuomo said he will sign a deal negotiated by legislative leaders that would strengthen rent stabilization rules covering more than a million tenants in and around New York City.
The proposal, which lawmakers plan to pass Friday, would permanently extend the current rules governing rent increases for rent-stabilized units. It would also restrict the ability of landlords to remove units from the system and permit cities throughout the state to opt into rent stabilization rules if they choose.
“This is the best bill they can pass, so I will sign it,” the Democratic governor told reporters Wednesday.
The landmark proposal, hailed as historic by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, represents a significant shift toward tenants’ rights in a state Capitol where New York City’s powerful real estate industry has long held significant sway.
“The tables have finally turned in favor of millions of tenants across New York state,” said Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-Manhattan. “For far too long, big real estate pulled the strings in Albany.”
Landlords oppose the changes, but their concerns are unlikely to derail the measure.
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SEXUAL HARRASSMENT AND RAPE: Mira Sorvino joined Cuomo to push for stronger sexual assault and harassment laws in New York and revealed that she’s a survivor of date rape.
The Oscar-winning actress choked up during a news conference Wednesday at the state Capitol with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Sorvino says that she has never spoken publicly before about the assault and that she was “doing it here to try and help.”
She said she wouldn’t go into details and didn’t name the person involved.
Advocates want lawmakers to repeal the state’s statute of limitations for second- and third-degree rape and tweak the state’s harassment law to make it easier for victims to prove harassment claims.
Sorvino was also one of the first women to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment.
(AP)
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16 Responses
Why is it outrageous? If someone is going to drive a car in New York, they should have a New York drivers license. This also means they will have insurance. While the US recognizes foreign licenses, if someone is in the US for other than a short visit, it is good they have to take an American driving test and be licensed by our motor vehicle department and have insurance that is certain to pay damages to accident victims.
It would certainly be outrageous if they weren’t requried to take a driving test or were exempt from the compulsory insurance rules, which, de facto, they would be they couldn’t get a local drivers license.
Whether an illegal alien is in the United States is a Federal question, and not that concerns state governments. Trump and the Congress determine who is allowed in the USA. Cuomo and the Legislature determine who can drive a car in New York. THere are separate issues.
You’d rather they drive without licenses?
Why the outrage? Driver’s licenses should be about … driving. Sure we have all sorts of problems with ID fraud and illegal voting (including the fact that the state seems to just take your word for your being a citizen without requiring any documentation) and of course we should address those issues (and comprehensive immigration reform would be nice too!) but save the outrage for something that really matters, like rent stabilization, aka making it unprofitable for landlords to rent out homes to people who need them.
How did Family YWN originally get into the US? Unless you are many many generations American your parents/ grandparents knocked the doors down, coming from Europe in masses. Why do we feel so entitled today? We are all newcomers & I know so many Jewish families, who recently tried to move to the US but had such hard times coming legal they went elsewhere
Any comment who thinks even citizens have licenses and drive around with insurance is divorced from reality to an unfathomable extreme.
If you knew how many people who aren’t illegals drive around without insurance, or licenses. I always recommend to buy UM Insurance, since more than 50% of people don’t have insurance in major cities!
Second, why don’t they have foreign licenses? What type of lawless countries do we have for neighbors? Tariff’s might be a good idea.
R R R our ancestors didn’t pay $7,000-$13,000 per person to a coyote to drop us off in a desert so we can make a run for it. There’s so much wishful thinking around this non-debate that I wish people would read, or go outside and talk to folks about what it’s like first.
are you guys kidding?????? what the heck is going on???? illegal aliens broke the law coming here!!! Hello! you now reward them with legal ID ! I think the insane are beginning to run the asylum!
Mark your calendars, folks. Akuperma got it right again.
RRR, my family worked hard to gain citizenship. There weren’t free-bees then like there are today. I pay a fortune for my family’s medical insurance and food bill and I even pay a fortune for these illegals. While driving licenses in of itself may not be an issue would you agree that if an illegal is caught driving without proper vehicular insurance then he be deported? Or will we then find some reason why to give them a pass, or even better, sign him up for a free insurance entitlement program, paid for with our tax dollars.
Here is an analogy. How many people here would be happy if, for example, they would be waiting their turn at the receptionist at the hospital, waiting for who knows how long, and then someone who is clearly no more in need than you simply walks in and jumps the queue to the front? And the receptionist takes them in with open arms! Those who break the rules and are “rewarded” for it simply encourage others to break the rules. That snowballs into anarchy.
I agree with Yaapchik.
I vote Republican my point is not to let this county become a socialist garbage dump but to be totally OUTRAGEOUS is over doing it we are lucky the US lets us stay here for the time being as Yidden we need to know our place
My point was not agreeing with the new bill, but that YWN forgot who they are
OUR insurance will now go up.
It’s not an outrage at all. They receive free public school education and free health care at emergency rooms. Why shouldn’t they be licensed and have insurance when they are driving around? The voter fraud will take place anyway. Immigration is a federal issue and in all likelihood they will never be deported.
Drivers’ licenses are about one thing only: Driving. If someone is here illegally, let ICE arrest and deport them. But they don’t have the resources to do that, and they’ve openly announced that if illegal immigrants don’t get in trouble their chance of being deported is minimal. In the meantime, if they know how to drive safely why should they not be licensed?
As for voting, a drivers’ license is not proof of citizenship and never has been. Does anyone object to legal aliens getting drivers’ licenses? Of course not. So why the outrage about illegal ones getting them too? If an alien, legal or illegal, registers to vote they should be arrested and deported.
Immigration is a federal issue true, this just means soon you shouldn’t be able to fly showing a New York license and passports would be the only reliable Id.. how does the dmv know what a birth certificate is supposed to like in Uganda , Nicaragua etc to know the person is who they say it is..
I want everyone who is driving to have insurance and be less likely to do a hit and run.. but they really shouldn’t be driving
now democrats are saying we need to give licenses to “help employers who rely on immigrants “ ( he missed the word illegal )
for a lawmaker to publicly say that we are okay with jobs going to illegals that’s outrageous
Rrr- Jews came into the country legally , and I did as well . Liberals are the ones who can’t differentiate in between legal and illegal immigrantion to misslead , they probably got you with their talking points ..