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By J. Patrick Coolican (contact) 
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Brian Sandoval
Brian Sandoval
Gov. Jim Gibbons
Sun archives
- Sandoval lays claim to anti-tax allegiance (4-6-2010)
- On second thought, Sandoval follows GOP crowd on health care lawsuit (3-24-2010)
- Brian Sandoval officially declares candidacy, won’t sign tax pledge (3-1-2010)
- Brian Sandoval, Rory Reid spar over budget solutions (1-27-2010)
- Sandoval portrays his job hopping as a strength in campaign for governor (3-17-2010)
- Meet Brian Sandoval: Candidate for governor? (8-30-2009)
- Mayor Oscar Goodman ain't afraid of Brian Sandoval (8-21-2009)
- Gibbons sets lofty fundraising goal (8-20-2009)
- Political intrigue brewing in the 2010 governor's race (8-16-2009)
- Judge nominee Sandoval has smooth hearing in D.C. (9-30-2005)
Sun Coverage
Brian Sandoval, Republican candidate for governor, can be seen in a recently posted YouTube video walking right up to the line of supporting driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.
“It’s an issue that I would strongly consider,” he says, after being asked about it by a woman who says she represents Hispanic insurers. “Folks who are gonna be out driving anyway, we should know who they are, they should be insured. That protects everybody.”
He is then asked again if he favors the idea.
“I would consider it, yes.”
Another sentence is somewhat inaudible, but he seems to have concluded the discussion by reiterating his support for the idea, which is then followed by scattered applause.
His remarks contradict a statement from a campaign spokeswoman in early February that Sandoval is opposed to the idea.
The campaign released a statement Tuesday clarifying Sandoval’s position.
“As a former judge, I normally consider all the arguments on most issues,” the Sandoval statement read. “I did consider the arguments on this issue, but the potential of legitimizing illegal immigration would outweigh the civil protections of mandatory insurance or data collection. Therefore, I would not support driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.”
Previously, Sandoval had seemed on the fence, at a Latino Lions Club event in Reno, for instance.
“That’s a very, very difficult issue and there are two arguments with regard to that,” Sandoval said, according to a February Reno Gazette-Journal article. “I need to learn more about it. I would be happy to sit down with you so I could learn the positives and what the advantages would be.”
The newspaper later asked him about his indecisiveness on the issue. According to the article, Sandoval said the law doesn’t allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses. “So right now, I support what the law is,” he said.
Any perception of ambiguity or flip-flopping could create problems for Sandoval in his race against incumbent Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons, political observers say.
Gibbons is running hard to appeal to the party’s strident conservative base.
Illegal immigration is a potent issue among the conservative Republicans who will turn out for the June 8 primary, and the YouTube video will almost certainly rocket around party circles and could be converted into an attack advertisement.
“This is going to dog him,” said Eric Herzik, UNR political scientist. “You are talking about an issue that has high emotional appeal, high emotional content.”
As Herzik notes, Sandoval is in a no-win situation.
“The easiest answer is illegal immigrants are illegal and should be deported,” Herzik said. “In the Republican primary that’s the safest answer.”
As Herzik noted, however, that may not be the best answer for Sandoval if he is looking ahead to the general election.
Sandoval’s appeal, and a key reason he is now favored by the Republican establishment over the incumbent Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons, is his ability to reach out to nonpartisan and Democratic voters, and — potentially — Hispanics.
Nationwide, all but a handful of states require applicants for driver’s licenses to show proof of legal residency in the United States.
Exceptions include Utah, for instance, which allows undocumented immigrants to use a federal taxpayer identification number as a substitute for a Social Security number. The license is called a “Driving Privileges Card.”
Because auto insurance companies require a valid driver’s license, undocumented immigrants are usually uninsured unless they have a license from a state such as Utah. This means when they get in accidents, other drivers are left unprotected.
After instituting a program allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain licenses, New Mexico saw its rate of uninsured drop from 33 percent to 10.6 percent in five years, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
Some law enforcement officials, including legendary former New York City and Los Angeles police chief William Bratton, have favored giving licenses to undocumented immigrants. They say without a licensing procedure these immigrants, who often drive anyway, are difficult to track. They are also not given proper driving instructions or testing and are more likely to be involved in hit-and-run incidents.
Opponents of the idea say it will merely encourage undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States.
Sun reporter Michael J. Mishak contributed to this story.
Any politician who plays the politically correct game and uses the word "Undocumented" is not worthy of public office. Call it like it is; "Illegal"!
Whats to question on this. If they are illegal aliens send them packing. Don't give them a drivers license are you kidding me. For Sandoval to even consider this begs to question his decision making process.
It lunacy to even think that such an official documentation such as a state driver's license would be issued to an illegal alien. I believe further that they should have to show proof of citizenship to even purchase an automobile.
I think they should be able to purchase automobiles. At least then some of the money they don't pay taxes on doesn't get sent south of the border to finance more illegals coming to this country. As soon as the cash is handed over to the car dealer, however, the illegals need to be bussed back across the border.
not legal no license
This is the kind of politician we need to get rid of; pander, waffle, and fence walk, not for the good of the citizens but for their own self interest. He reminds me too much of Al Gore.
An Independent
I guess Nevada and U.S. citizens have been conditioned by Harry Reid allowing illegals to obtain health benefits from the health reform bill,sadly, some feel that our government is going to give all of our U.S. rights away instead of standing up and upholding our laws on the books.
"The Cons are never, ever, ever going to give an inch on their anti-immigration platform."
Well said. Not when the Libtards' "immigration platform" is a code word for beginning your life in the U.S. as a criminal.
And we'll shout it from the rooftops!
We need not politicians but Statesmen who will proclaim, "My lobbyist are my constituents".
RINO! Keep building the real fence.
I'm supporting the idea of getting back all the undocumented immigrants, their sons, grand sons, grand-grand sons..... all persons whom are relative to an immigrant, get away!!!!
400+ YEARS OF IMMIGRATION IS TOO MUCH.
(Remember this, the first group of undocumented immigrants come in in a ship named "Mayflower")
There's so much hypocrisy on this world.
Oh no! A thoughtful Republican who weighs the options before he decides? Somoeone who instead of knee-jerk partisan reactions actually takes time to listen to both sides?
Go Brian! We love you and you are our only hope of not having a Reid as Governor.
As a Hispanic-American, I am opposed to any undocumented immigrant to be here, much less, receive a driver's license. Sandoval is having a conversation about this because this is one of the current topics of discussion in immigration (despite what one misinformed poster here wrote early in this thread).
I will agree with another poster that it's really misfortunate that Sandoval is being criticized here by commentators for even having the discussion. I think by and large conservatives and libertarians are less inclined to have an honest discussion with themselves and are more staunch in keeping in line with their party's dogmas.
As an aside, the real anger from conservatives on "illegal immigration" should be directed at the thousands and thousands of businesses that hire them.
(I meant to write "unfortunate" instead of "misfortunate.")
This guy thinks he can skate with Hispanics simply on the merits of his last name. Hope nobody's buying the act. Already a flip-flopper. Scary to say but the Repugs ought to be hoping that Gibbons wins the primary. As crazy as he is, at least he's consistent. People who think pandering Pretty Boy Brian will have an easy time with Rory Reid are kidding themselves. Sandoval has no ideas of his own and is like a deer in the headlights when caught on an issue his masters haven't programmed into his pretty head.
I dont' understand what the issue is. Can someone clarify? When I am in Mexico, Canada, UK, etc., I can drive on my US license no problems no hassles. Why can't Mexicans just drive in the US on theirs? Can't they just drive on their Mexican license?
Please don't tell me that Mexico has no driver's license program, that is the only thing that makes sense.
The first thing Sandoval does in the morning is check to see which way the wind is blowing.
Brian Sandoval's opinions and issues are not relevant. He is a republican, and the citizens of Nevada have all agreed to not vote for any republicans in the upcoming election.
*Goingbust - I don't know if Mexico has a licensing system for drivers, it wouldn't matter anyway. The problem is that these drivers are "illegal" and most drive off because they don't want to be deported back where they came from. When you are in another country you most likely went across with proper documentation so you are legal, hence the reason you don't understand the issue. Also American insurance companies may not recognize a Mexican license and that would leave these drivers still uninsured, another problem cited in this article
*TheKash - speak for yourself, not all Nevada citizens agree not to vote for a Republican, after all the alternative party is no better - both are full of crooks looking out for themselves, saying and doing what it is in their best interest. Some of us are going to vote based on the candidate, not a party affiliation - it's called thinking for yourself.
@LasVegas2009 Doubt I can get through to someone of your mentality, but you should really redirect your anger and venom to business that hire "illegals." But then again, you'll be the first to cry about prices for everyday goods if they stopped hiring people that don't even make minimum wage.
I do not understand why our Gov. give all these right to illegals.
I thought ICE was to deport them.
This show me Gov. not doing its job again.
Does Sandoval have a driver's license? Does he have a birth certificate? I think he was actually born in Kenya.
Looks like the Governor's race is getting "racy." How do you play the race card?
Oh, Lordy, 2009; REALLY?
That's just... SICK.
The whole thing.
Isn't giving undocumented person licenses kinda like documenting them? How could they go to the DMV and get a license without proper identification?
Sense no make.
LV2009 has a new robe and hood; it's called Internet anonymity. I'm sure he is recycling racist nonsense that he learned back in Mississippi to the current discussion about immigration. I bet that back in the 60's he was a real terror to the civil rights workers. Now he is just old, angry and scared. He probably murmurs to himself about the price of TV Guide in line at the grocery store.
Definitely the kind of person that you don't want your children going near on Halloween, more so if your kids are any shade of brown.
The country is being "invaded" and all he can manage is poorly worded internet postings? For shame.
Sorry to burst your bigot bubble but I'm from Minnesota, champ.
And while we are talking about it, what borders exactly, are you talking about? What year? Have you ever even SEEN a history book?
LV2009
"Businesses could not hire an illegal if his head had been shot off in the desert. Cannot hire the dead its that simple. We only need to kill a few thousand before they will get the message that invading this country comes with a price."
Murdering unarmed, starving, abused women and children trying to escape a poverty stricken country is not the answer to the problem except maybe in the mind of a coward or lunatic.
Hopefully we hold ourselves to a higher moral standard then that of a cold blooded killer.
LV2009 obviously advocates murder for racist reasons, it is a good thing he is such a coward. I hope the FBI is watching him and he ends up in prison with some of the very people he is so obviously afraid of.
I bet he punches his steering wheel out of frustration a lot.
Undocumented is the current PC phrase but changing the name is not going to change the fact that they are here illegally.
Americans are forced to pay for their health care eventually. If an illegal gets in an accident with you, guess who pays.
We need to get back to basics and take care of our own first. Support your unions & buy American. If we are going to allow them to stay and live off us, why not give them an "illegal's license" and allow them to buy insurance?
"We need to get back to basics and take care of our own first"
Back to "basics"? where/when was that? Is that a time period?
Who, exactly, is "our own"?
TV reruns aside, all of this vague nostalgia is ahisotical - it never really existed.
How in the hell can they even give them a license. There here illegal and the United States acts like we(US Citizens) owe them. They are good for gangbanging and grafitti the whole neighborhood. I live in Chicago and in Henderson and in Chicago they are all over the place. Our mayor thinks the world of them. They can't speak or understand english and every time you turn your head there having another baby and go right to a public hospital and pay nothing to have the kid. It just freaks me out that the United States has allowed this garbage to go on and now its out of control. I feel sorry for the people in Arizona that have to put up with this everyday. Why should we care about the illegals when there own country don't want them!! Sick of them!!
Good Lv2009 I'm glad you are getting your ideas from communist north Korea, simply brilliant.
And vette6048: you should really consider not throwing stones when you live in a glass grammar house...
Sandoval was/is backed by groups that Lou Dobbs don't like...Go teabags!
Clearly, denying undocumented individuals NV driver's licenses will keep them from driving. After all, we prohibit illegal drug use and Clark County has no drug problem whatsoever, right? *sigh* The real issue is whether Nevadans want to continue a situation where drivers who would get insurance can't be insured because of a factor (their immigration status) wholly irrelevant to their skill or lack thereof as a driver. If I were involved in an accident, my primary concern would be that there was an insurance company on the other side who could pay for my medical bills, not whether or not the at-fault other driver was undocumented, a US Citizen, an LPR or an asylee.
ThisOneGuy:I might live in a glass grammar house by I call it the way I see it Mr Minnesota. Come on down to Chicago and I'll show you around and I'm sure you will run right back to Minnesota. Maybe you can take some of them back with you. Maybe its to cold for them in Minnesota. Do ya think?
Say Minnesota putito, illegal aliens are criminals and parasites, one and all. Their very presence here and practically everything they do on U.S. soil is illegal. They need to be ferreted out, rounded up like cattle, punished for their numerous crimes, then booted back to whence they snuck in from with such extreme prejudice that they will never, ever think of violating our sovereignty again. Enough is enough.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. YOU can make a difference! Sign up with: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageNavigator...
It's nice when a candidate is so open about his desire to shaft the public.
That allows the public to avoid electing someone only to discover after the fact that the guy is actually hostile to them.
Let's be sensible -- nobody has figured out a way to deport all of the illegals. They are still here and still coming. Might as well get licensing and registration fees out of them and money they have to spend to buy a vehicle.