Illinois legislature considers a bill to grant driver's licenses to a quarter million illegal immigrants.
SPRINGFIELD—
A bill to give illegal immigrants in Illinois a chance to get a special license to drive cleared another hurdle today, winning approval in a committee and moving one step away from the governor’s desk.
Sponsoring Rep. Eddie Acevedo, D-Chicago, could call the measure for a vote today in the full House, where any roll call is expected to be close. The bill advanced to the House floor on a 6-3 vote of a House transportation panel.
The proposal would allow an estimated 250,000 illegal immigrants in Illinois to get three-year renewable license to drive a vehicle. They could not officially be used for other identification purposes, such as for boarding a plane, buying a gun or voting.
To become eligible, a person would have to live within Illinois for at least a year, a provision that would require applicants to provide a copy of a lease, utility bills and the like.
Under current law, people without a Social Security number or proper documentation to be in the country can't get a driver's license and often have trouble getting car insurance.
The proposal won't require somebody to have insurance before applying for a license because insurance is tied to a vehicle, but supporters note it's already illegal to drive an uninsured car whether a person has a license or not.
The bill already passed the Senate. Passage in the House would send the bill to the governor.
Illegal immigrant driver's license plan advances in Springfield
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Illegal immigrant driver's license plan advances in Springfield
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Illegal immigrant driver's license plan advances in Springfield
