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The California congressman who bankrolled signature gathering for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis has taken a first step toward financing a constitutional amendment that would deny benefits to illegal immigrants in the state. Rep. Darrell Issa, through the Rescue California Leadership Committee, is mailing letters to every voter who circulated a petition last year to recall the Democratic governor. Issa, R-Vista, was in Ukraine to monitor elections and unavailable for comment Wednesday. But his consultant, David Gilliard, said Issa is testing whether to join the drive to qualify the ballot measure. Gilliard said Issa is looking "very seriously" at providing financing for the new petition drive and will make his decision "before Christmas, maybe." Gilliard said Issa was disappointed that Congress did not restrict the power of states to grant driver's licenses in the recently passed intelligence bill. "He's been looking very seriously at whether or not there's a viable state option for the state to take action - including the (proposed) proposition," Gilliard said. "He hasn't decided anything definitely - but he's seriously looking at it," Gilliard added. Issa, a millionaire, is credited with placing the recall before voters, fueling a lagging effort with a $1.7 million investment. The money paid workers to help collect the 897,158 voter signatures needed to force an election. 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 the debate in the state. The constitutional amendment would bar the Legislature from granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, and cut their access to professional or commercial licenses and higher education subsidies. [more]