Taking the wheel
House OKS driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants
Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from last week. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week.
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 apply for a Massachusetts driver’s license by providing two documents. The first document is a valid unexpired foreign passport or valid unexpired consular ID. The second is a valid non-massachusetts U.S. driver’s license, birth certificate, valid foreign national ID card, valid foreign driver’s license or a marriage certificate or divorce decree. The measure also provides that when processing an application for a Massachusetts license, the registry is prohibited from inquiring about or creating a record of an applicant’s citizenship or immigration status.
“In line with the 16 other states that have passed laws offering standard licenses to those providing secure identification documents, this carefully crafted public safety legislation will mean that all drivers using our roads are identifiable, competent and insured,” said Rep. Bill Straus, D-mattapoisett, House Chair of the Committee on Transportation.
“I oppose this legislation as it creates an incentive and encourages more illegal immigration to Massachusetts by allowing those who are undocumented and here illegally to get a driver’s license,” said Rep. Paul Frost, R-auburn. “The federal government must address the matter of those who are here illegally and tackle the flow of illegal immigration into the country before we start giving out government issued IDS to undocumented individuals here illegally in Massachusetts. It sends a wrong message to those who are going through the intended process of legally immigrating to the country.”
“The (bill) will make Massachusetts roads safer and more accessible for all, ensuring all drivers have the same safety training, standardized identification and insurance,” said Rep. Tricia Farley-bouvier, D-pittsfield, sponsor of the original version of the measure.
“I could not support the bill because I have serious concerns about the message it sends, how it will be enforced and whether it will truly improve road safety as its proponents have claimed,” said GOP Minority Leader Brad Jones, R-north Reading. “Making driver’s licenses available to undocumented immigrants is unfair to those individuals who have followed the law to secure lawful presence status or citizenship. I’m also concerned that many individuals who will now be eligible for a license will instead continue to drive without a license and without insurance, either because they distrust the government and won’t come forward to apply or because they don’t want to pay the added costs of carrying insurance.”
“I filed this bill to enable all residents, regardless of immigration status, to apply for a driver’s license so they can get to work, take their children to school and doctor appointments and buy groceries,” said Rep. Christine Barber, D-somerville, another sponsor of the original bill.
“The idea that individuals can cut in line and illegally enter the United States of America, then be rewarded with the privilege of obtaining a Massachusetts driver’s license, shows yet again just how far left the state Legislature has become,” said Massachusetts Republican Party Chairman Jim Lyons. “This new law will only serve to encourage more illegal immigration and make the problem much worse.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.)
YES: Rep. James Arciero; Rep. Thomas Golden; Rep. Kenneth Gordon; Rep. Colleen Garry; Rep. Natalie Higgins; Rep. Vanna Howard; Rep. Meghan Kilcoyne; Rep. Michael Kushmerek; Rep. Rady Mom; Rep. Tram Nguyen; Rep. Dan Sena; Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik. NO: Rep. Kimberly Ferguson; Rep. Marc Lombardo; Rep. David Robertson.
Require Registry of Motor Vehicles to provide information to cities and towns
The House, 31-125, rejected an amendment to a section of the bill that prohibits the Registry of Motor Vehicles from disclosing personally identifying information and communications regarding any applicant for a Massachusetts driver’s license or learner’s permit, “including failure to provide proof of lawful presence in the United States,” unless specifically authorized to do so under regulations that are to be drafted by the attorney general’s office.
The amendment would make this information automatically available to municipal clerks attempting to verify the identity and eligibility of someone using a Massachusetts license to vote or to register to vote.
“I think it’s perfectly reasonable for these regulations to include, at a minimum, language that will ensure the sharing of information with municipal clerks seeking to verify a voter’s identity and eligibility, and with law enforcement officials conducting an investigation,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Brad Jones, R-north Reading.
Rep. Patricia Farley-bouvier, D-pittsfield, said she opposed the amendment due to the violation of privacy that would occur had it been adopted not just for immigrants without legal status who would newly be applying for standard driver’s licenses, but also for all license applicants. “(The bil)] was carefully drafted to protect the privacy of all who are applying for licenses in Massachusetts and ensure immigrants without status would trust that their legal status would not be disclosed beyond the standards for all current license holders i.e. for law enforcement investigations or insurance purposes,” Bouvier said.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)
NO: Rep. James Arciero; Rep. Thomas Golden; Rep. Kenneth Gordon; Rep. Natalie Higgins; Rep. Vanna Howard; Rep. Meghan Kilcoyne; Rep. Michael Kushmerek; Rep. Rady Mom; Rep. Tram Nguyen; Rep. Dan Sena; Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik. YES: Rep. Kimberly Ferguson; Rep. Colleen Garry; Rep. Marc Lombardo; Rep. David Robertson.
Also up on Beacon Hill
THE 2022 STATE ELECTION BEGINS — Secretary of State Bill Galvin announced that nomination papers can now be picked up by candidates who are planning to run for office in the Sept. 6 primaries and the Nov. 8 general election. Offices on the 2022 ballot this year include Congress, state senator, state representative, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, governor’s councilor, district attorney and sheriff.
Nomination papers are available at Galvin’s Elections Division at One Ashburton Place in Boston, at his regional offices in Springfield and Fall River and select city and town election offices across the state. Candidates who are unable to pick their papers up in person may call 617727-2828 or 1-800-462-VOTE (8683) to request to receive their nomination papers by mail.
Depending on the office sought, candidates must collect between 150 signatures (for state representative) and 10,000 signatures (for governor and lieutenant governor) from registered voters to be eligible for their names to be put on the ballot.
The deadlines for filing the signatures also vary depending on the office being sought. More information is available by calling 617-727-2828 or 1-800-462VOTE (8683) or by visiting sec.state.ma.us/ele.
TRANSPORT INJURED POLICE DOGS – NERO’S LAW — Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law legislation that would require EMS personnel, if there are no people waiting for the service, to provide emergency treatment to a police dog and use an ambulance to transport the dog injured in the line of duty to a veterinary clinic or veterinary hospital.
Senate sponsor Sen. Mark Montigny, D-new Bedford, first filed the bill in 2019 following the tragic death of Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon who was shot and killed in the line of duty while his K-9 partner Nero was severely injured and had to be rushed to the animal hospital in the back of a police cruiser. Nero survived.
“This law will ensure the wellbeing of working dogs who risk their lives every day to keep us safe,” Montigny said. “I hope this provides some comfort to the Gannon family who fought tirelessly for this moment that will forever honor Sean and his fearless partner Nero.”
“We must remember that this bill was first inspired out of tragedy,” said House sponsor Rep. Steve Xiarhos, R-barnstable. “And we all hold the memory of my fallen brother, police officer Sean Gannon, and his beloved family close in our hearts and prayers.”
$101 MILLION FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE — Baker signed into law a $101 million COVID-19 response bill. Key provisions include increasing the number of COVID-19 testing sites and COVID-19 tests; the acquisition and distribution of high-quality personal protective masks, including N95s and KN95S, to be distributed to health care workers and children and faculty in elementary and secondary public school districts; increasing vaccination rates among kids ages 5 to 11 whose vaccination rates remain low in comparison to older residents; and recapitalizing the COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Program. The measure also mandates that the Baker administration pursue the highest allowable rate of federal reimbursement for the $101 million package.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
“The (Baker) administration’s announcement is an important step toward a true common application and will have a significant impact on hunger and food insecurity in our state.”
— Jamie Klufts of the National Association of Social Workers – MA Chapter on the Baker administration’s announcement of its plan to allow low-income households the right to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the same time they sign-up for Masshealth.
“For eight years, the Senior SAFE grant program has helped provide older adults with home visits, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm installations and fire safety presentations led by firefighters and service providers. These grants help keep seniors safe at home.”
— Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito on the Baker administration’s announcement that 234 municipal fire departments will receive $1.8 million in grant funding to support fire education programs for children and older adults across the state.
“Modernizing the Bottle Bill to include more containers is a much-needed step to increase recycling and reduce litter. Removing more bottles from the municipal waste stream saves cities and towns money, while allowing customers to get a little money back. Many of the containers covered by this proposal didn’t even exist when I first lobbied for the Bottle Bill 40 years ago. It’s time to move this law into the 21st century.”
— Marc Draisen, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council endorsing legislation that would raise the per bottle deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents and expand the current law to cover additional carbonated and non-carbonated beverages including tea, energy drinks, water, wine and hard liquor.
“We have a saying around the halls of Pension Reserve Investment Management (PRIM): ‘To the extent PRIM is successful, we are the taxpayers’ friend — not to mention the retirees’ friend.’”
—PRIM executive director Michael Trotsky announcing that in 2021 the fund, which pays retirement benefits to state employees and teachers, grew by $17.4 billion (20.1%).
HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been filed. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session.
Last week, the House met for a total of six hours and 33 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 50 minutes.
Monday: House 11-11:16 a.m., Senate 11:10-11:19 a.m.
Tuesday: House 11:20-11:31 a.m., no Senate session.
Wednesday: House 11:02 a.m. to 4:57 p.m., no Senate session.
Thursday: House 11:02-11:13 a.m., Senate 11:13-11:54 a.m.
Friday: No House or Senate session
Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association Hall of Fame in 2019.
‘In line with the 16 other states that have passed laws offering standard licenses to those providing secure identification documents, this carefully crafted public safety legislation will mean that all drivers using our roads are identifiable, competent and insured.’
– Rep. Bill Straus, D-mattapoisett, House chair of the Committee on Transportation