#ncga: A mixed result from Wednesday’s hearings on amnesty bills
A Republican legislator’s bill that would give driver licenses to illegal aliens sailed through a GOP-dominated committee — as did a bill strengthening the
requirement for use of E-Verify background checks by employers:
People living illegally in the U.S. could obtain a driver’s permit in North Carolina if they go through several legal hoops, under legislation that cleared a House committee Wednesday.
Enough members on a judiciary panel voted for the bill, which also would make it a felony to sell fake driver’s licenses and identification cards, and eliminate certain documents from foreign countries as being acceptable forms of proof for identification.
The key element in the measure is the state’s creation of a “restricted” driver’s permit and an identification card, which would expire after one year and not be valid for certain government benefits or to register to vote. Those seeking the permit or card would have to undergo a criminal background check and subject themselves to fingerprinting. Drivers also would have to show proof of auto insurance.
Rep. Harry Warren, R-Rowan, chief spokesman for the measure, said about 325,000 immigrants who are in the country illegally live in North Carolina. The cards would give police officers more information about them if they are pulled over, Rowan said.
This bill “has nothing to do with immigration, immigration law or immigration reform,” Warren told committee members. “This is a bill about law enforcement and public safety.”
It is hard for police to determine the credibility of the documents that immigrants currently carry, Warren said, such as foreign identification documents or IDs created by nonprofit immigrant-support groups.
Opponents of the measure said permits would only encourage more immigrants to live in North Carolina illegally and told lawmakers their constituents don’t want them.
“Giving driving permits to illegal aliens will not make our roads any safer,” said Ron Woodard, director of N.C. Listen, which seeks greater immigration restrictions. If drivers with these permit decide to cancel their car insurance, he told the committee, “who is going to find them or take away their permits?” […]
James Johnson, with anti-amnesty group NCFIRE, had this to add:
Both H318- Protect NC Workers Act (E-verify fix) and H328- Highway Safety/Citizens Protection Act (illegal alien drivers license bill) passed their respective committee hearings.
We were happy to see H318 pass HOWEVER, we were extremely disappointed to see H328 pass, especially by a nearly unanimous decision. There is no record of who voted for/against this bill because it was done by voice vote only. It appeared to us, that there were approx 3 House Reps that opposed the bill and the rest all voted in favor of its’ passage.
This is very discouraging as it appears the NC House is all set to allow any and all illegal aliens in NC to obtain a “restricted” NC Drivers’ License (permit). It is no different than a “regular” NC Drivers’ License. They both allow you to drive LEGALLY in NC….legal citizen or not.
Both H318 and H328, have to pass one more House Committee hearing each, before they will be sent to the NC Senate for approval by 3 committee hearings and signed by the Gov., before they become law. So, all is not lost….yet!
[…]
NCFIRE upped the ante by putting out this statement bashing Warren’s driver license bill:
In response to the mis-information you are being given by Rep. Harry Warren (and others), about House Bill H328 – Highway Safety/Citizens Protection Act, make no mistake, this bill IS about “undocumented immigrants”, their ability to drive to the jobs they have taken away from unemployed citizens of N.C. and about making it easier to come to and remain in N.C.
In fact, under section 6 § 20-37.8A. (c) (5) (i) of this bill, it directly states: “A State agency or official shall not use any information submitted as part of the application process for a restricted identification card to seek the removal from the United States of the applicant or for any purpose other than the issuance of the restricted identification card. Nor shall a State agency or official release information pertaining to the immigration status of an applicant for a restricted identification card, except where expressly required by law to do so. “
How do you like them apples?Section 6 of this bill also allows for any and all illegal aliens in the State of North Carolina to be eligible to receive a “restricted” North Carolina Driver’s License/permit and/or N.C. ID card. This bill is not about licenses/permits/ID cards for the DACA approved illegal aliens in N.C. They are already receiving their “restricted” N.C. driver’s licenses/permits/ID cards. Upwards of 50,000 of them have been issued so far.
The reason the word restricted is in quotation marks is because the NC. driver’s license/permit/ID cards do have some limitations on them.
Those are:
1) it can not be used to register to vote (you and I know that, but how many people who are registering people to vote, are going to know that or even abide by it?)
2) it can not be used as a legitimate ID to enter government buildings (big penalty huh?)
3) it can not be used to board aircraft (well, yes it can and the TSA in California is already allowing it: http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/01/29/democrats-lie-illegals-fly-new-ca-licenses-accepted-by-tsa/Other than that, it is the exact same license as you and I received. It can be used as official identification and/or for driving purposes just like the one you have. There are no driving restrictions placed on the “restricted” driver’s license/permit. The Reps supporting it like to mince words and say it is “NOT A LICENSE”. It is a “RESTRICTED driving PERMIT”. Well what’s the difference if those are the only restrictions placed on it?
This has nothing to do with the “broken immigration system” or “the failure of Washington to do their job” excuses the Reps are espousing. The Supreme Court of the U.S. has ruled that States DO HAVE THE RIGHT to protect themselves by enforcing those very same Federal laws against illegal immigration, at the State level. In fact, anyone who fails to enact and enforce those laws at the State level is just as guilty of a dereliction of duty as our Legislators in D.C. are.
Quite frankly, lawmakers who actively support making it easier for illegal aliens in N.C. are, violating the U.S. Constitution (Title 8 – Chapter 12 – Subchapter II – Part VIII – § 1324 – Aiding, Abetting, Harboring, or Encouraging Illegal Aliens).
They are violating their N.C. oath of office […]
And they are violating North Carolina General Statute N.C.G.S. § 14-230. (willfully failing to discharge duties), North Carolina Constitution Art I Sec 5 (Allegiance to the United States) and Sec 29 (Treason against the State) and as such are guilty of misbehavior in office and should be charged with such.
On the one hand H328 offers some very good enforcement measures that deter illegal immigration into N.C., and on the other hand it offers a huge incentive for illegal aliens to come to N.C. , all within the same bill.
Why jump through all these hoops to accommodate illegal aliens who shouldn’t be here in the first place? Simply enforce the law, they will leave, and we won’t have to go through all these contortions.
Why are we rewarding people who have broken the law, with a North Carolina driver’s license/permit? […]
Gracious Republicans. We undocumented Mexicans, that your laws call illegal aliens, thank our biggest amigo in the legislature, Harry Warren of Rowan County, for all he did to allow us to drive on your highways. Now we can bring lots more of our friends up from Mexico to take your jobs.
Our other big amigos who sponsored this bill are Representatives Brian Brown of Pitt County, Jeff Collins of Nash County, Larry Yarborough of Wautauga County, and Jonathan Jordan of Person County.
We appreciate them looking out for undocumented Mexicans even when they have to throw their own American citizens under the bus and go against their own party platform to do so. We are sorry that they have all probably signed their own political death warrants in their next primary, but it is all for the glory of the Reconquista. Viva Mexico! And muchos gracias Republican amigos.
Thank you for posting our open letter. It gives the people of NC a chance at the truth, instead of the “Rep Speak” they are being fed.
Does your organization have a PAC? Someone needs to recruit primary challengers to these scalawags and run some hard hitting ads on this issue to run them out of the legislature. Republican voters will not stand for this nonsense if they are made aware of it.
Warren is trying to help Obama to break the law. They want to make sure the illegal alien only has committed 2 crimes not 3. That’s what this is about.
The Sheriffs should arrest all illegals they find and record who and where the ICE people refused to take the illegals. Then hand the info over to the victims to sue.
I wonder if McCrory wants this bill so he can veto in for 2016. Pat McCrory and Paul LePage are the only governors who show any iota of concern about illegal immigration and working people. Nikki Haley pushed congress to pass amnesty in 2013. But gave a few fuzzy words.
Or maybe it is even a bigger double cross. Don’t be surprised if Richard Burr comes in and condemns it while he pretends to oppose amnesty like he did on the Cruz amendment.
They have not figured out that once they purchase a 6 month policy that they can fly under the radar and even our local police can’t find them. Welcome to higher insurance rates for law abiding legal citizens.
Doesn’t Glen Bradley live in Jeff Collins district? This massive blunder by Collins has opened a clear path for Bradley to return to Raleigh. This issue, used right would destroy Collins in a primary, and heck there may be other equally potent issues out there if Collins voted for the corporate welfare bills or the gas tax increase,
Yes, Bradley has deep family roots in the western part of Collins’ district. He declined to face off against Collins after the re-districting because he wanted to focus on a State Senate run against Barefoot but a friend of mine told me that he’d suggested to Bradley that the odds would be better going against Collins. True, there’s slightly more Republicans in Collin’s Nash County than in Bradley’s Franklin County but that number is approaching parity as conservative voters are swelling the population of southwestern Franklin County, immediately adjacent to the more urban parts of Wake County. That trend is likely to continue. I’m not sure if Nash County has a similar level of growth potential.
Bradley had complimentary things to say about Collins before announcing his senate race. (Barefoot announced later, whereupon it became clear to everyone that it was a district carved out for Stam’s right hand man.)
Bradley may feel differently about Collins today but he’s probably not spoiling for an exhaustive primary fight after what the party has done to him.
The party did not do it to Bradley. The Tillis mafia did. This is his chance to even the score, and Collins leftward lurch gives him a huge opportunity. The drivers licenses for illegal aliens is a huge vulnerability for Collins, and I will bet he probably voted for the gas tax increase and the corporate welfare, too. But it is actually sponsoring a horrible bill like the illegal alien drivers licenses that will really get him.
I wasn’t examining Collins’ record specifically about the gas tax so I can’t confirm without taking another look, but I did notice that he was definitely a sponsor of the corporate welfare bill, aka “NC Competes”.