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Florida governor jeb endorses illegal alien driving bill Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/8364000.htm http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/8364000.htm Posted on Tue, Apr. 06, 2004 LEGISLATURE Governor endorses illegal-alien driving bill Gov. Jeb Bush favors giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses, as long as there are security measures to weed out criminals. BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ AND GARY FINEOUT mrvasquez@herald.com TALLAHASSEE - Saying rigorous screening standards would ensure recipients ''won't be terrorists,'' Gov. Jeb Bush on Monday strongly endorsed issuing state driver's licenses to both illegal immigrants and foreign nationals who make Florida home for part of the year. Hundreds of thousands of people could be affected by the proposal, which is currently making its way through the Florida Legislature. Sen. Rudy Garcia, a Hialeah Republican pushing the measure in the Senate, says it would enable those stuck in immigration limbo to drive with valid licenses and get insurance while they work to become citizens. ''Our roads and streets will be safer because of this,'' Garcia said, adding that the sprawling nature of most Florida cities makes owning a car a necessity, and that the state, by not giving illegal immigrants licenses, ``almost tells these folks to break the law, because that's the only way they're going to be doing anything.'' Illegal immigrants wishing to obtain the licenses would have to submit to be cleared by background checks both in Florida and in their home countries. The state would rely on consular officials to sign off on background checks from abroad. Foreign nationals who visit the state frequently to check up on homes or businesses would have to provide proof of ownership. The driver's license question presents lawmakers with a potentially volatile election-year issue, one that could woo Hispanic voters but is also credited with helping defeat former California Gov. Gray Davis during last year's recall election. Florida's proposal, however, calls for stricter screening requirements than the driver's license bill signed into law by Davis. Bush said his support for the idea would waver if security precautions were relaxed. Bush also made it a point to say he was not encouraging more illegal immigration into the United States. ''We shouldn't allow them to come into our country to begin with,'' Bush said. ``But once they're here, what do you do? Do you say that they're lepers to society? That they don't exist? It seems that a policy that ignores them is a policy of denial.'' Skeptics remain in the Legislature, although it is unclear whether there are enough of them to defeat the driver's license proposal. Sen. Mike Haridopolos, a Melbourne Republican, voted against the bill when it had a committee hearing last week, but he was the only one out of 13 senators to do so. The governor's endorsement Monday could give the idea a further boost. Rep. Gustavo Barreiro, a Miami Beach Republican, plans to introduce a similar bill in a House committee next week, which if approved would go straight to a full vote by all House members. Haridopolos on Monday said he had no problem giving licenses to foreign nationals who live in Florida part of the time -- provided they had the necessary visas or other immigration documents. But illegal immigrants, he said, have ''basically cut in line'' by not waiting for their chance to come to the United States with government approval. ''You have to play by the rules,'' Haridopolos said. ``When they go to work for different companies they also take jobs away from people who went to our high schools, who went to our colleges.'' Several other states last year considered loosening restrictions on driver's licenses to allow illegal immigrants to drive. Hawaii and Kansas adopted laws last year making licenses easier for illegal aliens to obtain. Immigrant-rich Arizona is considering easing its rules this year. At least seven states allow an identification number given out to tax filers to be used as an acceptable form of ID when obtaining a driver's license. Such numbers are available to anyone who pays federal income tax, regardless of their immigration status.

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