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By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 | 12:37 p.m.
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, is sponsoring legislation that would require the state to issue a driver’s privilege card to undocumented immigrants and other Nevadans who don’t want to jump through the stricter identification hoops for a true driver’s license. The driver’s privilege card could not be used for identification but would allow undocumented immigrants and others to drive legally and obtain liability insurance, Denis said. “In 2006, I did the research and I was ready to do a bill draft request, but I didn’t have enough support to do it,” Denis said. “So, it’s never been ...
I realize that some correspondents to these threads will have serious reservations about providing any apparent benefit to undocumented folk. The benefit, though, is more to the rest of us. Consider the number of unlicensed, uninsured drivers, many of whom are undocumented. Las Vegas has high accident rates and corresponding insurance. I compare this to immunizations. According to Roberta there are thousands of undocumented kids in the School District. Is it better to make sure that they are immunized against communicable diseases or let some plague run amok? I'll take the former please.
Hey why don't we just grant them citizenship as they are crossing the border? Maybe even put a welcome packet together complete with their first welfare check, food stamp card, and directions to the nearest hospital so they can give birth to the newest one.
Mr. Denis,
I contend your contention "...the ability to drive legally would prompt more undocumented immigrants to obtain insurance, increasing safety for all motorists" is wrong. Regardless, it is not how our society operates.
It would seem to me that you "don't want to jump through the stricter identification hoops" and are chosing the path of least resistance.
Please don't - please work to solve the issue.
Regards,
Purgatory
Why doesn't Sen. Mo Denis 'suggest' we keep ICE on call and when the ILLEGALS come for their driver 'privilege' cards ICE can round them up and DEPORT THEM. This just gets crazier and crazier....
First off if they are here illegally they are breaking law 1. Now if they choose to drive without a license, insurance or registration they are breaking law 2, 3 and 4.
Shall we keep going? Is breaking law 5 not obeying car cell phone usage? Maybe speeding?
My point is that someone who is here undocumented should understand, fair or not they are breaking the law. If you compound it by driving illegally you should be deported post haste. You can't just keep extending "passes"....
"Or maybe there is a citizen who wouldn't want to go through the process now for the driver's license with all of the requirements under the Real ID act."
Nice try, the DMV stopped issuing Real IDs in mid 2010 because many non-english speakers could not understand that they needed to bring certain forms of identification as a requirement and cluttered the DMV for many other people as they came multiple times and still couldn't being the proper forms of identification.
"If you really look at it, the true issue is a safety issue."
No the true issue here is democrats again trying to buy the hispanic vote at the expense of everyone else who came here legally. No one will see their insurance costs drop as a result of this, and no insurance company is going to see a rise in new applicants as a result of this bill. The DMV will issue out these permit cards, and those that receive them will play stupid and say they didn't know they still needed to buy insurance.
So again, lets reward law breaking.
Heads exploding!
Policy makers need to move forward with sensible policies - such as this policy. They need to stop being distracted by these bigots and instead move forward.
Bigots will cry foul and cry the loudest - but we cannot allow such a bigoted minority group prevent the majority of people in moving forward with sensible policies.
I have some compassion for those undocumented who were brought here by their parents and there's likely going to be some permanent solution to this issue in the future. For now they have to take the bus, ride a bike, tag along with a friend, walk, whatever. I'm not willing to say "OK, you're here illegally...let me do something so you don't have to break any further laws". Someone who is willing to skirt or disobey the rules of road by pleading ignorance (when they damn well know they can't drive here) isn't getting any sympathy from me. That's strike 2.
"This really is an issue about safety," Denis said.
Really? Then repeal the cell phone while driving law. Fatalities were up 83% as of June, most likely as a result of people hiding their cell phones while still using them.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/jul...
Also, if it's about safety, then pass a law stating all drivers over age 65 must pass a driving test every year in order to maintain their driver licenses. Oh wait, elderly people vote. If you do that you won't get re-elected. Nevermind.
unlv702; So you assume that those of us that want these illegals to live by OUR laws to be bigots? Nice try but that agrument is old and worthless.
Good post NousDefions and true.
Heeeeyyyyy , why not? they're already abusing the welfare system , and have most of the construction jobs , and now they can drive thier landscaping trucks legally with this bill. I just want to know if the I.D. is going to be in spanglish?
This is simply ridiculous. Might just as well make these illegals citizens. This tippy-toe foolishness is for the birds.
@Noindex, the article you linked to mentioned absolutely nothing about cell phones.
I understand where some of you are coming from. It's idealistic to expect people to obey the laws when immigrating here. Unfortunately, it's not realistic at this point in the game.
So what do you do? Let people drive around with no license and no insurance and no real form of ID so they can slip away the moment an accident happens, or swallow our idealism (as distasteful as it may seem)and do what is practical?
We also have many Canadians and others who live here legally for part of the year, but don't have access to local ID because the laws are odd on having more than one driver's license.
Next_Opinion, I know the article does not mention cell phones....but its the obvious conclusion that nobody wants to admit.
@Noindex, your mileage may vary, but I still see tons of people openly speaking on cell phones in traffic. My favorite is when they are at the front in the left hand turn lane and they get so distracted that they don't go when the light changes.
After a bunch of people honk, they finally make the light and leave the rest of us screwed. Ugh.
Back to topic, though it bothers me to reward bad behavior, I've gotten too old to think that principles are the guiding force anymore. You have to go with practical.
Sen. Mo is a f$%^& idiot who should be F#$%^&* up.
Oh and I am real positive they will go right out and get their vehicle insured. NOT! Mo Dennis you are a NUT!! Ice Ice Baby!
I can usually tell the undocumented driver because they are driving the speed limit, while the citizens are speeding.
Not sure this is a safety issue as much as it is a way to sell more liability insurance. Wonder who the lobbyists are promoting this legislation?
This legislation will make no difference for most undocumented workers. They won't put themselves in the records, can't afford liability insurance, and can get rides to work from legal driver's they work with.
If you want to stop undocumented workers from coming here, no matter from where they come, heavily penalize and/or imprison US employers who hire them. That will dry up the well of work, and answer all the other complaints people have against them.
Denis the democrat communist said, "Nevada would have to work out protections for immigrants worried that such a card would help Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials identify and deport them"
what? is he insane?
thats the REASON we have federal deportation laws TO IDENTIFY illegal aliens and deport them
NO amnesty for illegal aliens and their anchor baby offspring - no matter WHERE they come from
the racist LA RAZA group is obviously behind this looking at which ethnicity of democrat communist legislators is signed onto this. I also say CUT federal funding to cities that offer that bogus "sanctuary city" hokum and triple the budget for mass deporation.
If I could, I would sign the order to deport all the illegal-friendly clowns along with their illegal brethren.
out I say. illegal aliens get out and go your home country and take your anchor baby offsping with you and go to the BACK of the 25 year line - maybe we'll see if we still want you then in 25 years. no phony psuedo drivers licenses - not ever
Arizona has the right idea - get the buses ready and deport them all - preferably in chains
Since when does wanting to uphold the immigration laws of this country deem a person to be a bigot? I guess all those in favor of allowing illegals to have all the comforts of (our) home should be the ones to PAY for all those comforts... I, for one, choose NOT to use ANY of my tax dollars to support illegal immigrants and their anchor babies... silly me, I know better than to think I have ANY say in how my tax dollars are spent :(
And just to set the record straight - I don't care if the illegal comes from Mexico or China - I don't care if they're black, white, yellow or purple - illegal is ILLEGAL and more time and effort should be used by these Senators thinking of ways to rid the Country of all illegal invaders instead of using their precious time just thinking of ways to legitimately circumvent the law.
peacelilly wrote.....I can usually tell the undocumented driver because they are driving the speed limit, while the citizens are speeding...........I think peacelilly sounds like an old white woman....
This same issue is being discussed here in Illinois. The logic is - if these people can get legit drivers' licenses, our roads would be safer. That's a bunch of BS!!! The roads aren't any safer now with those driving with legitimate licenses!! Also - Does the State of Illinois AND Nevada REALLY think these people are going to buy insurance??? Really????
A legit driver's license should be given while one is in the process to become a LEGAL citizen - not a reward for being here illegally with the hope that giving them a license will make our roads safer because in all reality it won't make one damn bit of difference.
Also - while in the process of getting that license, not only a driving test and rules of the road test should be administered - but classes on how to put stuff securely in the back of a pickup truck so it doesn't come tumbling out on the street. Having a person standing in the back holding it with their arms doesn't count. And yes - I have seen this scenario more times than I ever thought I would when I lived in Vegas. I see it occasionally here but because our weather is crappy most of the time - anything in the back of the truck is usually covered and tied down.
They still won't purchase insurance. They will just continue to what they do now, get in a wreck and run away..