V oters will decide on four ballot questions in the 2022 Massachusetts elections on Nov. 8. The state has also seen a reduction in hit-and-run crashes and a steep decline in people found guilty of unlicensed driving, she said. U.S. Congress | too many. Its about making our roads safer, making sure that everybody has to pass a road test and vision test to get a license in the Commonwealth.. Support GBH. Constitutional rights Korman added that farm workers without licenses are at higher risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19, as they often must share vehicles or ask for rides over 20- to 30-minute commutes in rural areas where bus routes are slow and infrequent. Massachusetts Gov. The committee reported $3.6 million in contributions. The bill cleared both branches with more than enough support to override Baker's veto. The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday voted in favor of a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses. Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, said, "The Work and Family Mobility Act makes our communities safer, builds trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities, and benefits our economy. .sbtotaltable td { Debate: Question 4 would let undocumented immigrants to get a drivers license in Massachusetts. Charlie Baker on Friday vetoed a bill making immigrants without legal status eligible to seek state-issued driver's licenses, saying the Registry of Motor Vehicles, an agency that he oversees, doesn't have the ability to verify the identities of potential applicants. Here is what you need to know about Question 4, regarding eligibility for driver's licenses. Individuals classified as treaty traders are among the eligible individuals for a New Jersey driver's license.It is a temporary worker who is accompanying the spouses and children of their employer. Documents not written in English must be submitted with a certified translation. The group said the proposal would improve public health, equity and road safety ensuring tens of thousands more drivers are road-tested and commuting to work, school and doctors visits safely, legally and without fear of arrest over their status. Laws we must follow to ensure a fair, safe, and functional society. Farm owners, he said, have long relied on the worst of Band-Aid solutions off-the-record agreements with local police chiefs to help prevent their workers from being pulled over. Thank you! Catch up fast: Legislators enacted the law in June, overriding Gov. of State Bill Galvin has said this type of regulation would be feasible to implement. battersea power station webcam; maine real estate transfer tax exemptions It would only be accepted for driving, Guthrie said. At least 16 states, including Connecticut and Vermont, allow residents to get a driver's license or permit regardless of immigration status, supporters say. [13] In lieu of citizenship or immigration information, the bill allowed registrars to accept two documents that prove the date of birth and identity of the applicant, including foreign passports, birth certificates, or consular identification documents.[14]. .split-cols-bm { Cities | But Trackels motion failed on a tie vote. American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. Navigating Research with Undocumented Immigrants as an Undocumented Immigrant; Announcement of New Series! In this section, Ballotpedia does not include opinion pieces written by individuals or groups that do not represent the official position of a newspaper or media outlet. If the petitioners submit a written request for the suspension of the targeted law prior to the referendum election, signatures equal to 2 percent of the total votes last cast for governor are required to both suspend the law and force an election. Governor Baker supports existing laws in Massachusetts, enacted on a bipartisan basis, that ensure Massachusetts compliance with federal REAL ID requirements and enable those who demonstrate lawful presence in the United States to obtain a license, Terry MacCormack, a spokesman for the governor, told MassLive on Tuesday. New: With 32 votes in the affirmative to eight in the negative, @MA_Senate passes a bill allowing undocumented Immigrants to get drivers licenses @NBC10Boston pic.twitter.com/A02E6xmqXK. Stay up to date with everything Boston. Why it matters: Massachusetts is home to more than 200,000 immigrants without legal status, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Republican grassroots organizers said last . A report from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a think tank, states Connecticut saw a 9 percent decrease in hit-and-run crashes in the years after lawmakers there passed the law. This bill is a bad bill, Diehl said in June. | But on Wednesday, a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses passed a first-ever vote in the House, 120-36. Under the law, a person can obtain a drivers license or learners permit in Massachusetts so long as they pass a road test, meet all other qualifications, and provide proof of their identity, date of birth, and residency. A long-debated proposal to expand driver's license access to undocumented immigrants took a major step Thursday toward becoming law, clearing the Massachusetts Senate with a strong enough margin to overcome the prospect of Gov. Sixteen states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., allow undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses or similar IDs known as driving privilege cards, eliminating the chance of arrest for driving without a license, a common fast-track to deportation. Join us. .sbtotaltotal { Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com. Undocumented immigrants driver's license law question likely to appear on November ballot A "yes" vote would keep the law in place, allowing undocumented immigrants a pathway to. Massachusetts is one of the first states to put repeal of the law to a vote. The Idaho Legislatures Senate Transportation Committee voted Tuesday to advance a bill that would create a restricted drivers license available to all people 16 and older residing in Idaho, regardless of their immigration status. Beginning in April 2021, undocumented immigrants in New Jersey will be able to obtain driver's licenses. DRIVER'S LICENSES FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS The House, 120-36, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would allow people who are unable to prove lawful presence in the United States to. Who was behind the campaigns in favor of a 'yes' or 'no' vote? John Milligan, of Fair and Secure Massachusetts, expands on this in his argument explaining the No vote published by the Secretary of States office: In his veto message of this bill, Governor Charlie Baker made it known that the Registry of Motor Vehicles does not have the capability or expertise necessary to verify documents from other countries and notes that, if this bill becomes law, Massachusetts drivers licenses will no longer confirm that a person is who they say they are.Additionally, Governor Baker states the bill specifically restricts the Registrys ability to share citizenship information with entities responsible for ensuring only citizens register to vote and vote in our elections, significantly increasing the likelihood that noncitizens will register to vote. This breaking news story will be updated. width: 50%; BOSTON (CBS) - The Senate passed a bill that would give immigrants without legal status a pathway to obtain a Massachusetts driver's license. BOSTON - The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday joined the House in voting to override Gov. text-align:center; The word count for the ballot title is 21. Supporters of the Work and Family Mobility Act have said allowing undocumented residents to obtain licenses is a common sense public safety measure to make sure more drivers are properly trained on the rules of the road. It looks like a bid to repeal a Massachusetts law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses will make it on to the November ballot. Under current legislation, undocumented immigrants are not allowed to have a license in Massachusetts. BOSTON (AP) Massachusetts voters will get the chance to decide whether the state should reject a new law allowing immigrants in the country illegally to obtain state driver's licenses. Opponents of the bill said, under H 4805, it would be difficult for the Registry of Motor Vehicles to verify foreign documents and that the bill would permit noncitizens to vote. A total of $3,350.00 was spent to collect the 40,120 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $0.08. "Ensuring all Massachusetts drivers meet the necessary identification, registration and testing requirements for driving just simply makes the roads safer,"Sekhavat said. Question 4 would allow undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts to obtain a drivers license or learners permit if they meet all necessary requirements such as a road test, proof of identity and residency. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. The full text of House Bill 4805, which the veto referendum would have overturned, is below:[1]. } We urgently need to have [undocumented immigrants] drive legally, safely, insured and registered.. Jay McMahon is urging voters to reject the ballot question and vote "no." No more than one-quarter of the certified signatures on initiative or referendum petitions may come from any one county. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. A valid unexpired drivers license from any United States state or territory; an original or certified copy of a birth certificate; a valid unexpired foreign national identification card; a valid unexpired foreign drivers license; or a marriage certificate or divorce decree issued by any state or territory of the United States. Standing alongside her is Roxana Rivera, vice president of 32BJ SEIU, who led the push for the law with Reason. Roberta Fitzpatrick, Arbella Insurances managing attorney, noted that in the first four years after Connecticut passed its drivers license bill in 2015, more than 50,000 undocumented immigrants have taken driving tests. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. The Secretary of State's officehas certified the number of signaturesneeded to put the repeal efforton the ballot. Sarang Sekhavat, with the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said the law benefits immigrants and society as a whole. Guthrie said drivers licenses are a basic necessity and would give all Idahoans 16 and older the opportunity to drive legally. Gov. The state Senate picked up the bill, too, before Baker vetoed it in May. Alexi Cohan is a producer on Greater Boston. The requirements to get a veto referendum certified for the 2022 ballot: If the 1.5 percent threshold is met, the targeted law is not suspended, but it is put before voters at the next general election to be upheld or rejected. Under the Massachusetts bill, known as the Work and Family Mobility Act, driver's licenses would be available to undocumented immigrants if they are able to provide documentation like a. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. A "no" vote was to repeal House Bill 4805, thereby maintaining existing state law that prohibits applicants who cannot verify citizenship or immigration status from obtaining a driver's license and motor vehicle registration. Charlie Baker previously expressing opposition. Charles Baker's (R) veto of bill regarding driver's license and vehicle registration applications, States issuing driver's licenses to immigrants who cannot provide proof of lawful presence, Oregon Alternative Driver Licenses Referendum, Measure 88 (2014), Massachusetts veto referendum ballot measures, recently scheduled reports processed by Ballotpedia, Campaign finance requirements for Massachusetts ballot measures, List of Massachusetts veto referendum ballot measures, Massachusetts Question 3: Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination, Massachusetts Question 4: Market for Electric Utilities, Massachusetts Question 2: Require Use of Seat Belts in Motor Vehicles, Massachusetts Question 2: Methods of Levying Fees for Nonpartisan Student Organizations, Massachusetts Question 4: Increase Salaries of Government Officials, Massachusetts Question 4: Require Use of Seat Belts in Motor Vehicles, Massachusetts Question 4: Bottle and Can Regulations, Massachusetts Question 5: Creation of Three Percent Sales Tax, Massachusetts Question 6: Increase Salaries of State Legislators, Massachusetts Question 2: Increase Salaries of State Legislators, Massachusetts Question 5: Non-Profits Allowed to Conduct Games of Chance, Massachusetts Question 1: Regulation of Animal Trapping, Massachusetts Question 4: Gas Tax Increase, Massachusetts Question 5: Regulation of Foregin Banking, Massachusetts Question 3: Prohibition of Alcohol Production and Transportation, Massachusetts Question 2: Tort Liability for Voluntary Organizations, Massachusetts Question 5: District Attorney Candidates Required to be Lawyers, Massachusetts Question 3: Empower State to Censor Movies, Massachusetts Question 4: State Alcohol Prohibition, Massachusetts Question 2: Interst on Bank Savings, Laws governing the referendum process in Maryland, Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States, Click here for the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information, Fair and Secure Massachusetts campaign website, Fair and Secure Massachusetts Facebook page, Fair and Secure Massachusetts Twitter page, "WGBH", "Mass. What happens when providers turn to medication first? Migrants have faced a warm welcome but major challenges, like housing and education. Firearms The Massachusetts State Senate will debate whether undocumented immigrants should be able to get drivers licenses in formal session Thursday morning. The House voted 118-36 Thursday to accept the conference committee report on the bill; the Senate vote was 32-8. Mar Valdecantos is the director of Rice County Neighbors United/Vecinxs Unidxs . The ability to get behind a wheel and drive to work, or take your child to a doctors appointment, is something that many of us might take for granted," Spilka said. This isnt an immigration issue. Under the bill (H 4805) expanded access to standard driver's license would begin on July 1, 2023. The bill calls for striking language in state law that blocks residents who do not have lawful presence in the United States from obtaining a license of any type in Massachusetts. 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