Advocates to push immigrant driver's license bill in special session

With a special session of the Legislature looming, supporters of a bill that would give unauthorized immigrants the ability to obtain driver's licenses are hoping the provision will come up again.

The bill would allow some immigrants to drive legally even if they have few other legal rights in the United States. In this year's legislative session, it had bipartisan support — and the backing of interest groups often at odds.

By adding a new "driving privilege license," the bill would allow people to use passports or certain foreign identity documents to apply for a driver's license. The DFL-led Minnesota Senate approved the bill, but it failed to get to the floor of the Minnesota House where Republicans are in the majority.

That came as a big disappointment to Paulina Olmeldo, an unauthorized immigrant from Mexico who lives in Minneapolis. Having a license, she said, would be a big help to people like her. It also would help more people buy cars and insurance.

"For those of us who have children, we could drive them to school activities," she said. "There are places where buses don't go, so we can't take our children there."

In the last days of the session, supporters made an attempt to attach the measure to the omnibus agriculture, environment and natural resources finance bill.

On May 16, state Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, one of the bill's sponsors, argued for a floor vote. But he did so against the wishes of state Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, chair of the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Finance Committee.

Although McNamara supported the bill, he didn't think there were enough votes to pass it in the House.

Hamilton disagreed.

"I think we would have the votes on the House floor. This is where I disagree with Chair McNamara," Hamilton said. "I'm happy to take the vote because I will be supporting it. Are we better off not having a negative vote here towards what we're trying to get accomplished?"

The bill faced staunch opposition from Minnesota Majority, a group that advocates for smaller government, voter identification and other conservative causes. Dan McGrath, the group's executive director, said he thinks the bill might prompt people who aren't entitled to vote to try to register. He also said the bill would send a bad message.

"We're encouraging illegal activity in Minnesota and rewarding it by handing out driver's licenses to people who actually don't have the legal right to be here in the first place," McGrath said. "And this seems like another magnet to draw more illegal activity to Minnesota."

The Senate bill contained language that specified that the driving privilege license is for driving only, and cannot be used for voting.

For bill supporters like Willmar Police Chief Jim Felt, making sure everyone who drives has a license boils down to a safety issue.

The west central Minnesota city has significant Latino and Somali populations working in agriculture and other local industries. Felt said once or twice a week his officers are pulling over drivers who do not have licenses but are still driving.

"We really took the stand that if they're going to be on the road, [and] they've been through the driver's training, the testing, the behind-the-wheel evaluations and everything, it just makes a safer roadway for all of us," Felt said.

But the bill's opponents say that isn't a matter for states to decide.

"Realistically this is a federal issue. I would like to see it resolved, but Congress and the President have not seen fit to do that," said state Rep. Mark Uglem, R-Champlin. "So until they do, I don't know what we as a state should be doing. Should we override the federal government? I don't think so."

Now that legislators and the governor have to reach agreement on many budget and policy differences to avoid a government shutdown, the issue may wait until next year.

State Rep. Karen Clark, a Democrat from Minneapolis who wrote the House bill, said she and other proponents of the measure will keep pushing it.

"If it can come up in the special session, that would be terrific," she said. "But I'm not sure we will be successful. Most important is that the next time it comes up it passes and it passes with all the bipartisan support that we know is there."