Marietta Daily Journal

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Bill would alter driver’s license provision in Ga.

by Ricky Leroux

February 22, 2015

ATLANTA — Supporters of a bill in the Georgia Senate say it would prevent those who have entered the country illegally from gaining a driver’s license, while opponents call the bill discriminatory.

Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus) said he filed Senate Bill 6 to clarify residency requirements to get a driver’s license.

“What made me want to file it is I learned that under current Georgia law that illegal immigrants are entitled to receiving a Georgia driver’s license,” McKoon said. “I was shocked and dismayed that our law would allow for that and felt that we needed to make a change, particularly in light of the president’s most recent deferred action, which from the estimates that I’ve seen — conservative estimates — would place an additional 100,000 illegal immigrants in an eligibility status for a Georgia driver’s license.”

McKoon is referring to President Barack Obama’s executive actions to shield certain immigrants from deportation, which the president issued in November. Those executive actions were temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Texas this week, but the White House has said it will appeal the judge’s ruling.

The judge’s decision does not change McKoon’s resolve to pass his bill.

“I think it is incredibly important for us to move forward because the federal judge has given us some breathing room,” McKoon said. “He’s given us time to get this law in place, but there’s no guarantee that that decision’s not going to be reversed in days, weeks or months to come. Now is the time to act. We need to stand up for the people of this state and make it clear that we’re not issuing benefits to those who have broken our laws and are here illegally.”

McKoon said the bill would change residency requirements to get a driver’s license from “lawfully present” to “lawful status,” which he said would not allow those who entered the country illegally from getting licenses even if the executive actions are implemented.

“Georgia law currently says that you must be lawfully present — you have to have a lawful presence in the state to qualify for a driver’s license. Most of what Senate Bill 6 does has to do with changing lawful presence to lawful status,” McKoon said. “That would fix the problem because even if the president orders deferred action, that does not confer lawful status upon individuals who are in the country illegally.”

The bill is in the Senate Public Safety Committee, chaired by Sen. Tyler Harper (R-Ocilla).

“We requested a hearing several weeks ago, and we have not been granted a hearing,” McKoon said. “But we continue to be hopeful that Chairman Harper will schedule it for a hearing.”

At a hearing, supporters of the bill would provide evidence and testimony on why the bill is necessary. Then, the committee would need to vote to move the bill forward, McKoon said. The bill would then go before the Senate Rules Committee, he said, which decides what bills go to the Senate floor for a full vote.

McKoon said he hasn’t been given a reason why a hearing has not taken place.

“I really have not heard anything. We submitted a letter requesting a hearing. We have made repeated requests for a hearing,” he said.

Still, McKoon is hopeful, saying 12 other Republican senators have signed on to the bill.

“I learned a long time ago you don’t make predictions, but I certainly continue to be hopeful that we’ll get the opportunity to make our case,” he said.

Sen. Bruce Thompson (R-White), who represents a portion of north Cobb between interstates 75 and 575, is one of the co-sponsors of the bill. Thompson said the bill simply defines “who can actually get licenses within our state because once you get a driver’s license, that opens you up to so many other benefits.”

Thompson said the bill is necessary because of the uncertainty surrounding Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

“Right now, with the action that our federal government is taking granting certain segments of the population immigration status here, if we don’t define within our state what it takes to be able to get a driver’s license, then we’ve opened Pandora’s box,” he said. “It’s not seeking to restrict as much as it’s seeking to define who’s qualified within our state to be able to get a driver’s license and be on the roads.”

Sen. Hunter Hill (R-Smyrna), who represents Smyrna, Cumberland and Vinings, said he has some issues with the bill, but supports the concept.

Hill said portions of the bill would also apply “to current foreigners getting a temporary license that are here legally. And a lot of them are contributing members of our society in terms of business executives with Mercedes and UPS and Coca-Cola and other companies, and we wouldn’t want to burden everybody when we’re trying to just make it so the vast majority of illegals don’t get a driver’s license.”

Hill said if those changes are made, he would vote to pass the bill.

“I think everybody’s on the same page for not making the law cumbersome for legal residents, but also not allowing illegal residents, those here illegally, to have a government document that suggests that they are here legally.”

State Sen. Horacena Tate (D-Atlanta), who represents the Mableton area in south Cobb, said she would not vote for the bill.

“We spend too much time trying to be discriminatory to people,” Tate said. “It’s an attack on deferred immigration status for people who are here, supporting our economy.”

Tate said the bill hurts people who are in the country trying to work and contribute.

“If we allow them to have driver’s licenses, then that means they’re paying insurance. They can get jobs, can get to work. And they can be contributing members of our community — which is what we want — and spend their money here. So let’s not be discriminatory in what we do.”

The bill is not good for Georgia, Tate concluded.

“Once again, we’re going about discriminating and causing economic hardship on some of our Georgia citizens,” she said. “Once again, it goes back to — which is what I’ve been saying — we keep doing things for the select few and not what’s good for all of Georgia. I look at this bill in its present status as being one that does that. In its present status, I would not support the bill.”

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