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By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Sen. Mo Denis asks a question during a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee on the second day of the 2011 legislative session Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, in Carson City.
Senator-elect Michael Roberson speaks at the Republican election night party Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010, at the Venetian.
Sun coverage
Sure, the losing side typically engages in a bit of soul-searching following a major election, but the 2012 election seems to have sent Nevada politics skittering off into Bizarro World.
Suddenly, a Tea Party group is acting like Democrats and a leading Democrat is acting like a Republican.
In just the past week, Nevada’s Democratic secretary of state has put forward a voter identification law proposal and a conservative Tea Party group has recommended a driver’s license scheme for illegal immigrants.
Indeed, just days after the Las Vegas Review-Journal featured an interview with the leaders of the Grass Roots Tea Party of Nevada — which supports a Utah-style driver’s privilege card for undocumented immigrants — Democrats in the Nevada Legislature held a press conference to publicize proposed legislation to create such a driver’s privilege card.
The coincidence led Republican leader Sen. Michael Roberson to poke fun at his Democratic counterpart, Majority Leader Mo Denis.
“I joked to Sen. Denis this morning that I’m glad to see he is following the lead of the Tea Party,” Roberson said Tuesday.
Denis submitted the bill draft request last month — a date Democrats are keen to point out so they get credit for being first with the proposal. Under his proposed legislation, Nevada would issue driver’s privilege cards to undocumented immigrants and anyone else who wants to drive legally but doesn’t want to, or can’t, qualify for a full driver’s license.
The privilege cards would allow immigrants to drive legally and obtain liability insurance but could not be used for identification.
If Nevada passes the legislation, it would be one of just a few states to allow undocumented immigrants the ability to drive legally.
Only one state — Utah — has a similar card. Two states — New Mexico and Washington — issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. This week, the Illinois Legislature is considering passing similar legislation.
“This really is an issue about safety,” Denis said. “We’ve had a lot of hit-and-runs that occur because of individuals driving without a license.
“So, the concept is basically giving somebody permission to drive. This isn’t just about undocumented individuals. Some people are here legally on a visa and normally wouldn’t be allowed to get a license. 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.”
The issue has been rather controversial, especially among Republicans. Opponents of the measure don’t believe immigrants who arrived illegally should be granted driving privileges.
But after Republicans lost badly among Hispanic voters — a bloc growing in size and influence — they have quickly begun embracing issues important to Latino voters, even issues not traditionally popular with their own base.
Last week, both Roberson and Gov. Brian Sandoval expressed support for a state policy that allows the DMV to issue driver’s licenses to young immigrants brought to the country illegally who are eligible for a deportation reprieve through President Barack Obama’s deferred action program.
On Tuesday, Roberson voiced strong support for a Utah-style driver’s privilege card for undocumented immigrants, adding that the Republican caucus may come out with its own proposal soon.
“A lot of immigrants in Nevada are on the roads now, whether it’s to get back and forth to school or get children back and forth to school or to go to work,” Roberson said. “The fact that these immigrants may be driving without a license or card and without insurance, I think we can do better than that as a state.”
Assemblyman Pat Hickey, R-Reno, took the opportunity to point out what he believes is the hypocrisy by some legislative Democrats who oppose Secretary of State Ross Miller’s voter identification proposal while supporting the driver’s privilege card idea.
“I think there’s a little inconsistency in approving of a driver’s license for certain folks, but not an ID for voting,” Hickey said.
Not all Republicans are jumping on board.
Sen. Don Gustavson, R-Reno, one of the Legislature’s most conservative Republicans, was dismayed by the idea of granting driving privileges to undocumented immigrants.
“I would not be supportive just letting people come in the country illegally and giving them a driver’s license. No!” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to allow them to come in the country illegally then give permission to drive legally.”
Of course, the details still have to be hashed out. Denis said he isn't certain yet what requirements driver’s privilege card applicants would have to meet to be eligible.
But he noted he opposes recent changes Utah made to its driver’s privilege card program, which require applicants to provide a criminal background check and fingerprints.
Denis also said he would seek assurances that Immigrant and Customs Enforcement officials wouldn’t use the permit database to identify immigrants for deportation.
“That’s something that came up in Utah and they were able to work out,” Denis said. “ICE just can’t come in and do that. ICE doesn’t normally do that anyway. For me, we are going to have to have some kind of assurance that this is not going to happen.”
Roberson said those issues will have to be “discussed and debated.”
“It’s clear to me that Washington needs to do its job and both parties need to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” he said. “But in the meantime, we have a real safety issue here.”
Sandoval also remained open to the concept of a driver's privilege card.
"The governor remains opposed to granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants," his spokeswoman Mary-Sarah Kinner said in a written statement. "The governor is also familiar with the concept of the driver’s privilege card law in Utah. However, given the fact that Sen. Denis’s proposed bill may contain material differences to the Utah law, the governor will refrain from further comment until he is able to fully review the bill."
Catering to criminals, what a country.
The Chameleons have conquered both parties, there's nothing "Bizarro" about that
This is a phoney argument and a lie. Their are a number of companies that sell car insurance policys to individuals with out of country drivers licenses here locally. A drivers license from Mexico or any other country is ok to register the car as long as you have Nevada proof of insurance. This proposal is just more nonscense from Democrats, dumb go along Republicans and the phoney Tea Party! How about a E-Verify requirement for all job seekers in Nevada. Lets give available jobs to citizens, legal immigrants and not the illegals? Elections have consquences, how's that hope and change working out for you?
First of all, when more folks are following the laws and are insured, it reduces rates, everyone is safer. It is doubtful anyone is happy about the massive illegal immigration that has beseiged our country, thanks to lax or selective enforcement of immigration laws and policies. That has been a NO WIN, and the whole American and Nevadan infrastructure ails because of it.
So issuing a provisional type of license will have to work for now. As these illegals gain legal citizenship through proper channels, then they earn the rights bestowed upon Citizens of the USA, as voting.
Sounds like some political entity has tied the hands of ICE, and our Border Patrol is not getting the proper backing to do its job, and that needs to change. Either way, it is time for our Lawmakers to get to work and get the job done.
Blessings and Peace,
Star
Looks like the state will be opting for a "nickel and dime" path to citizenship. So what will happen 10 seconds after one of these illegal alien's with legal driver's licenses are in a motor vehicle accident. Welcome to America or back across the border. Lawyer's rejoice. This entire discussion makes no sense at all. We shouldn't only be discussing south of the border. What about all the Asian, European, Middle Eastern, Russian, Canadian, South/Central American, etc. I don't understand the focus on hispanic people. Why the blinders?
Illegal immigrants should ONLY have the privilege of being deported. Does the word ILLEGAL mean anything?!
Maybe we could also allow illegal gambling, illegal drugs, illegal molestation...
Just to make myself clear:
illegal [ih-lee-guh l]
adjective
1.forbidden by law or statute.
2.contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.: The referee ruled that it was an illegal forward pass.
Thank you :)
Our country as we once knew it is over. The illegal Mexican invasion is well underway and is already starting to change our country. Our government is being taken over by these people and it is just a matter of time before they actually control it. We are on our way to becoming another Mexico. Drug cartel violence and poverty will be the United States. If you thought the ghettos were bad here now just wait until it spreads across entire cities and suburbs.
If our government won't protect us from this illegal invasion then Americans need to stand up and do it ourselves. We need to fight back!
"Sen. Don Gustavson, R-Reno, one of the Legislature's most conservative Republicans, was dismayed by the idea of granting driving privileges to undocumented immigrants. "I would not be supportive just letting people come in the country illegally and giving them a driver's license. No!" he said. "It doesn't make sense to allow them to come in the country illegally then give permission to drive legally."
The senator is a prime example of how much We the people allow perjury of oath -- perjury being a felony -- and how actively hostile government has become to what it is Constituted to do, secure our freedoms/liberties. It's in the Preamble of both our Constitutions.
"Catering to criminals, what a country."
"Maybe we could also allow illegal gambling, illegal drugs, illegal molestation..."
nez212, depeche878 & ilk -- you're both showing how utterly ignorant you are of the republic you live in. If you bothered to actually read the Constitutions you would see they protect the liberties of people, not just citizens. So long as you and your ilk insist on acting as police state pushers I will resist you.
"The constitutional right to travel from one State to another . . . occupies a position fundamental to the concept of our Federal Union. It is a right that has been firmly established and repeatedly recognized. . . . The right finds no explicit mention in the Constitution. The reason, it has been suggested, is that a right so elementary was conceived from the beginning to be a necessary concomitant of the stronger Union the Constitution created. In any event, freedom to travel throughout the United States has long been recognized as a basic right under the Constitution." -- United States v. Guest, 383 U.S. 745, 757-758 (1966)
What does the right to travel from state to state have to do with illegals? Illegals don't belong in this country in the first place so they don't get that right. They are breaking our law.
@ KillerB
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. Not the World or the "people's" constitution.
Just a refresher for anyone keeping score:
Illegal - Immigrant
Illegal - Immigrant
Illegal - Immigrant
Illegal - Immigrant
Illegal - Immigrant
Keyword: ILLEGAL
What happens when you do something illegally? Get driving privileges?!?!? No, you go to jail, or in this case, you get deported.
The insurance argument doesn't make sense. The car must have insurance to be registered in Nevada. What are they driving if they don't have an accident? If the car is not properly registered, that is a violation in its self. Sure, there are plenty of vehicles here that are registered out of state. Fix that problem with proper enforcement.
I fully agree with the comments about employers being held liable if they knowingly hire an illegal immigrant. Require them to use E-Verify. Pull their business license if they have 2 violations in a year. That will stop quite a bit of the problem.
To coddle cooperation from those grazing upon the fields of freedom -- to coerce such freedom into the encumbered fold of social mandates only to discover the spirit of liberty to be nothing more than an illusion predicated upon a never ending stream of social controls instead of individual choices.
Do not bite at the bait of pleasure, till you know there is no hook beneath it.
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Here's an ideal, lets uphold the current immigration we have and deport law breakers instead of rewarding them. Oops, I forgot our current president has an illegal uncle here that was arrested for DUI and I wonder if he had a drivers license. Never did find out the outcome of that case. Let's all just look the other way I guess and keep paying taxes to support these illegals and rewarding them.
"The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. Not the World or the "people's" constitution."
depeche -- exactly what part of "freedom to travel throughout the United States has long been recognized as a basic right under the Constitution" do you not understand?
"We the people of the State of Nevada Grateful to Almighty God for our freedom in order to secure its blessings, insure domestic tranquility, and form a more perfect Government, do establish this Constitution." -- Preamble to Nevada Constitution
"We the people of the State of Nevada Grateful to Almighty God for our freedom in order to secure its blessings, insure domestic tranquility, and form a more perfect Government, do establish this Constitution." -- Preamble to Nevada Constitution
Killer you're something. In another thread you state that christianity has nothing to do with the constitution but yet you post the Nevada Constitution and what does it say.... Grateful to Almighty God for our freedom etc. So I guess you're right, christian values have nothing to do with the laws of our land.
Foot in mouth?
"Foot in mouth?"
chuck -- apparently you can't tell the difference between a discussion on liberty and another on a christianity's charge to beat a 7-year old boy to death. Find someone else to school you. I'm finished with you here.
"Try explaining Hitler to a kid." -- the late George Carlin in "Brain Droppings" (1997)