With Senate override vote, driver’s license monthly bill gets to be regulation

A bill that would allow for immigrants in the place illegally to attain driver’s licenses in Massachusetts has develop into law right after the point out Senate voted Thursday to override the veto of Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.

The 32-8 vote adopted a productive override vote Wednesday in the Home. Massachusetts now joins 16 other states and the District of Columbia that have comparable rules.

The new regulation is a get for immigrant rights teams that have long pushed for the evaluate, framing it in aspect as a community security measure indicating that the people will have to display they can properly operate a car and get insurance plan in the function of an incident.

Baker has opposed the plan of allowing for all those in the region illegally to attain driver’s licenses, indicating it would involve the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to concern state credentials to folks without the need of the capability to confirm their identity.

With the adjustments, Baker stated, a typical Massachusetts driver’s license would no for a longer period ensure that a individual is who they say they are.

Below the new legislation, all those in the region illegally will be equipped to implement for a driver’s license if they can supply the Registry of Motor Vehicles with a foreign passport or consular identification document.

They will also have to offer a single of 5 added documents: a driver’s license from one more U.S. point out or territory a birth certification a foreign countrywide identification card a foreign driver’s license or a marriage certificate or divorce decree from any U.S. state or territory.

The new regulation normally takes result July 1, 2023.

The changes will assistance improve the lives of all those doing the job to assistance their people, according to Democratic Sen. Adam Gomez, who voted to override Baker’s veto, saying the licenses will assistance ease some of the fears of interacting with law enforcement.

“As a Latino-American escalating up around individuals from all distinct backgrounds, I have found firsthand the boundaries the undocumented immigrants experience when seeking to safe work, housing and larger schooling,” he said. “Legislation like this will get to these communities and allow them to prosper.”

The licenses could pose unintended complications, in accordance to Republican Sen. Bruce Tarr, who voted to uphold Baker’s veto.

“We’re making a huge possibility that it could be abused for functions for which it is not meant,” he mentioned. “It also makes an remarkable risk to the integrity of the electoral approach.”

Baker, in his veto letter to lawmakers last thirty day period, also explained the new regulation would appreciably increases the hazard that noncitizens will be registered to vote.

Supporters say these problems are overblown in section due to the fact those making use of the licenses to endeavor to sign up to vote could close up facing deportation.

Geoff Diehl, a Republican prospect for governor, stated Thursday that he would help a ballot query to repeal the new law.