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FAIR Applauds Governor Davis' Veto of Illegal Alien Drivers License Bill
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 1999 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) applauds Governor Gray Davis' decision to veto SB 371, legislation that would have allowed illegal aliens to obtain valid California drivers' licenses. Under a highly effective policy that has been in place since 1993, first time applicants for California licenses have been required to provide proof of legal residence in the United States.
While FAIR remains sharply critical of the Governor's decision not to defend the will of 59 percent of California voters who supported Proposition 187, his veto of this bad piece of legislation demonstrates that the voice of the people is still being heard in Sacramento. "Hopefully, this will be the first of many vetoes of efforts by the California legislature to ignore the will of the people and restore benefits to illegal aliens," commented Ira Mehlman, FAIR's media director.
"This was an encouraging first step, but the Governor still has a long way to go in restoring the faith of Californians that he is serious about doing what he can to deter illegal immigration," said Mehlman. "The legislature is aggressively promoting bill that would systematically grant privileges and benefits to illegal aliens, in spite of the strong objections of the majority of Californians. We hope that Governor Davis makes it clear that those bill will meet the same fate as SB 371."
Additionally, FAIR is calling upon the Governor to instruct all state agencies to cooperate with federal authorities in identifying and apprehending illegal aliens living in California. Section 133 of the 1996 Immigration Reform Act, signed by President Clinton, created a mechanism under which greater federal-state cooperation is possible. "We encourage Governor Davis to make California a model of how states can participate in the effort to deter illegal immigration, within the guidelines set forth by Congress, and which have been upheld by the courts," Mehlman said.
SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform Web Site: http://www.fairus.org