Wednesday
Oct132004
California Driver's license amendment pushed
Wednesday, October 13, 2004 at 03:21PM
California Driver's license amendment pushed - Republicans Seek to Wipe Out all Immigrant Benefits
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won his first legislative victory last year after the California Republican Party contributed $400,000 for a ballot signature drive that forced Democrats to repeal a law intended to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. But as state Sen. Gil Cedillo prepares to introduce his fifth license bill next year, the governor - who recently vetoed an Assembly version - and the GOP are distancing themselves from a ballot measure that could put the issue to rest. The constitutional amendment would bar the Legislature from granting licenses to illegal immigrants, and cut off their access to professional or commercial licenses and higher education subsidies. The same grass-roots group that launched last year's referendum drive, the California Republican Assembly, has begun a signature drive to qualify the new measure. Likened to Proposition 187 - the 1994 measure that would have denied public benefits to illegal immigrants but was gutted by the courts - the new measure has reignited debate between moderate and conservative Republicans. [more
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won his first legislative victory last year after the California Republican Party contributed $400,000 for a ballot signature drive that forced Democrats to repeal a law intended to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. But as state Sen. Gil Cedillo prepares to introduce his fifth license bill next year, the governor - who recently vetoed an Assembly version - and the GOP are distancing themselves from a ballot measure that could put the issue to rest. The constitutional amendment would bar the Legislature from granting licenses to illegal immigrants, and cut off their access to professional or commercial licenses and higher education subsidies. The same grass-roots group that launched last year's referendum drive, the California Republican Assembly, has begun a signature drive to qualify the new measure. Likened to Proposition 187 - the 1994 measure that would have denied public benefits to illegal immigrants but was gutted by the courts - the new measure has reignited debate between moderate and conservative Republicans. [more
]