Legislation that would permit illegal border crossers to obtain Arizona driver licenses appears dead for now.

The House on Feb. 25 voted 40-16 against H2355, which would permit people to obtain an Arizona driver license with no proof of authorization to be in the United States.

And a Senate committee that last year passed such a bill nixed a similar measure Feb. 24.

The Natural Resource and Transportation Committee, by a vote of 2-4, turned down S1281, a bill that would provide Arizona driver licenses to immigrants and deportees, as long as they are cleared by state and national criminal background checks.

Two similar measures failed last year, including one that received a favorable recommendation from the committee.

Sen. Linda Binder, R-Dist. 3, committee chairman, came to the U.S. at age 19 from England and worked under a green card. “I certainly understand how all of you [supporters of the bill] feel here today.

“I also believe wholeheartedly in President Bush’s guest worker program,” she said. “However, this piece of legislation I unfortunately cannot support.”

Sen. Robert Blendu, R-Dist. 12, one of three Republicans who voted against the bill, said, “I hope we won’t be judged too harshly today because we are not dealing very well with illegal immigration… I believe there are many people, including the chairman and myself, who are willing to keep working on this problem because ultimately, I believe, we do need to fix it.”

Mr. Blendu said Arizona honors Mexico driver licenses, but U.S. citizens are not granted licenses by Mexico. He also said he was concerned about immigrants counterfeiting licenses. “I’m apprehensive” about the bill, he said.

Sponsored by Senate Minority Whip Pete Rios, S1281 would eliminate the requirement to provide proof of “authorized presence” in the country to obtain a driver license and would permit the applicant to use an identification card issued by an embassy or consulate. Applicants who are ineligible for a Social Security number would instead use other forms of identification, including a tax identification number.

The bill also applies to state-issued non-driver identification “licenses,” driving instruction permits and license renewal.

“This is an old friend,” said Mr. Rios, D-23, referring to the multiple times he has sponsored the legislation. He said he added the background check provision to alleviate concerns about terrorists having a driver license. Under the bill, applicants would pay a fee for the background checks.

‘Out Of The Shadows’

Elias Bermudez, a lawyer and member of Centro De Ayuda, an immigrant advocacy group, told the committee he entered the United States illegally.

“By allowing a person to come out of the shadows and get the privilege to drive in our state, they become the first line of defense in national security,” he said regarding background checks for driver licenses.

“We provide jobs, and they will come,” Mr. Bermudez added. “A driver’s license will show the nation that we are a humane and loving state.”

Mr. Rios said certain businesses need immigrant labor, and the workers need to get “from point A to point B. They are not the criminals who are going to apply for driver licenses. They’re [criminals] going to drive anyway. They don’t care.”

Mr. Rios and Sen. Bob Cannell, D-24, were the two votes in favor of the bill. Illegal immigrants contribute to the Yuma economy, Mr. Cannell said.

“The streets would be a lot safer if the drivers that are going to drive there anyway are trained and have insurance, and it seems like a logical bill to me,” he said.

Another bill, H2355, would prohibit the use of a driver license from a state that does not require proof of authorized presence in the country as valid identification to obtain an Arizona license.

The National Immigration Law Center reports that 11 states issue driver licenses to individuals lacking proof of federal authorization to be in the United States. —