The Republican Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, distrusts undocumented immigrants and, considering that the entity would not have the capacity to verify their identities, he vetoed a bill that would would grant driver’s licenses.
However, part of Baker’s veto message refers to a fear that Republicans have promoted in their campaigns, the fact that non-citizens register to vote.
“ it significantly increases the risk of non-citizens registering to vote,” Baker said.
Their argument is that the rule restricts the ability of the authorities to share information about the beneficiaries and, therefore, verify whether or not they can vote.
“[El proyecto de ley] restricts the capacity of the Registry to share citizenship information with those entities responsible for guaranteeing that only citizens register and vote in our elections”, he considered.
However, the project establishes that immigrants eligible for driver’s licenses would not be registered to vote as a result.
The measure allows Massachusetts residents without legal immigration status to apply for a standard state driver’s license, as long as they show certain documents that prove their identity.
Baker had warned of his refusal to bill citing lack of resources at the Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles and cited flaws in the bill to distinguish driver’s licenses from undocumented immigrants.
Despite the veto, the bill can become law since it was approved by a majority in the The state Legislature, and under Massachusetts regulations the state House of Representatives can override the veto, something Democrats have promised to do.
Democratic Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz, in an interview this year with Efe, said that licenses for undocumented immigrants have been a struggle for many years, and that they will not rest until the law is applied.
“What is very important is that it will benefit all the people in the state because it is legislation that is going to make the roads safer for everyone; it is not going to benefit only a small group,” said Chang-Díaz, the first Latina to become a state senator.
It is estimated that 250,000 Immigrants residing in the state would benefit from enforcement of the law, with which Massachusetts would join others 16 states and the District of Columbia that have already approved similar initiatives.
With information from EFE