AZ driver’s license clash centers on “non-citizen” designation

Newly elected state Rep. Jay Lawrence (R-LD 23) is not reluctant to enter the illegal alien fray, exhibiting the boldness that got him elected this past November.

Lawrence is drafting legislation that includes a “non-citizen” designation on driver’s licenses issued to so-called DREAMers, given a pass —- along with their families —- by Barack Obama’s executive amnesty actions which enable them to avoid deportation.

Since driver’s licenses are one of the accepted forms of documentation when showing identification at statewide polling places, Lawrence views his legislation as a means of protecting the integrity of the voting process.

A press conference called Friday afternoon by Democrat Hispanic lawmakers and other activists warned the Republican caucus that they will be organizing against any efforts  to draft legislation to add a “non-citizen” designation on driver’s licenses. They offensively compared Rep. Lawrence’s proposal to Nazi Germany’s requirement forcing Jewish citizens to wear yellow badges and armbands emblazoned with the identifying Star of David, apparently unaware that Lawrence is Jewish.

Yet even in California where radically leftist Gov. Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown sees no distinctions between illegal aliens and American citizens, (shocking 1-min. video) their licenses will carry a special designation on the front and a notice stating that the document is not official federal identification and cannot be used to prove eligibility for employment or public benefits. Colorado and Oregon are among states, including California, that require such designations.

Arizona House Majority Leader Steve Montenegro (R- LD 13), a naturalized citizen born in El Salvador, called  the Democrats’ press conference “a publicity stunt that serves no purpose other than to divide lawmakers and the public,” adding it appeared “more like political grandstanding than true concern for the people of Arizona.” Conservative Montenegro is a staunch supporter of securing our sovereign border.

The Governors Highway Safety Association points out that all 50 states have enacted graduated, (often three-stage) laws governing driver’s licenses for all novice American citizen drivers, who have higher than average accident rates. Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs allow new drivers to safely gain driving experience before obtaining full driving privileges. No one has ever claimed such restrictions are offensive.

Former California lawmaker and current Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo, a Democrat who repeatedly and unsuccessfully introduced a license bill for illegal aliens over 15 years, is not disturbed by the “non-citizen” designation. Cedillo says it won’t impede those eager to drive legally from applying for it.