A senate committee will hear testimony on giving a special driver’s license to illegal immigrants in Oregon Monday.
The Senate Transportation and Economic Development Committee will hear from the public about Senate Bill 845, which would give special driver's licenses to people who can't produce the required identification, like a birth certificate, to get an Oregon license. The state-issued identification card would allow driving privileges but would not allow a person to obtain a concealed handgun permit or register to vote. The issue is just a proposal right now because lawmakers missed the deadline to schedule a vote on the bill, therefore it will not make it out of the committee.Supporters of the measure, like Aeryca Steinbauer, spokesperson for CAUSA, said everyone in the state of Oregon is safer when drivers are licensed and insured. “If you aren’t licensed it’s difficult and impossible to get insurance.” Other supporters said illegal immigrants will drive whether they have a license or not, so the state should promote safe driving.
Steinbauer said the bill isn't just aimed at illegal immigrants, “There are citizens who have lost their birth certificate or spend months trying to track one down.”
Opponents argue that the bill would make Oregon a magnet for illegal drug dealers. Jim Ludwig, President of the anti-illegal immigration group Oregonians for Immigration Reform, said a member of a drug cartel could easily obtain a license to legally drive in Oregon.
“The most important document an illicit drug dealer has is a driver’s license so they can drive from one state to another and deal illicit drugs.” Ludwig said someone who's in the country illegally isn't going to feel the need to purchase auto insurance.
State Senator Chip Shields is sponsoring the bill along with Rep. Cannon, Rep. Jenson, and Rep. Kotek.
"Immigrants do not come to this country to get driver's licenses. They do not leave because they're ineligible," Sen. Chip Shields, a Portland Democrat who is sponsoring the bill, said in a statement. He said the bill is "all about public safety."
Last month, the Oregon Senate last month voted to allow some illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public universities. The measure is awaiting a committee hearing.
CAUSA, Oregon’s Immigrant’s Rights Coalition, is planning a rally on the front steps of the capitol building in Salem Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. called “A Rally to Restore Driver’s License Access to ALL Oregonians.” The Senate hearing is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.