February 1, 2015 Newsletter

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Driver’s Licenses, Illegal Aliens & a Gray Fox

S.B. 6 Georgia Road Safety and Driver’s License Integrity Act by Senator Josh McKoon (R), pre-filed but officially introduced January 28, 2015, is an extremely important bill that would have positive effects on Georgia as follows:
(a) Federal immigration law could not be the basis for issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.
(b) Eligibility for a driver’s license could not be based on approved deferred action status.
(c) Driver’s licenses or ID cards obtained by illegal aliens would not be proof of lawful status. (d) Illegal aliens could not qualify for welfare benefits under the SAVE program.
(e) Drivers caught driving without a valid license could have their vehicle impounded.
(f) On or after July 1, 2015, the Department of Driver Services would participate in Homeland Security’s Records and Information E-Verify initiative.

S.B. 6 cosignatories are the author, Senator McKoon, 29th; Crane, 28th; Gooch 51st; Heath 31st; Ginn, 47th; Ligon, Jr., 3rd; Williams, 27th; Kirk, 13th; Thompson, 14th; Harbin, 16th; and Martin, 9th. If your senator is not listed here, please ask him to cosign and support S.B. 6.

ACTION – Support. Contact Public Safety Senators Harper, Ch., 404 463-5263; Albers, 463-8055; Dugan, 656-7454; H. Jones*, 463-3942; Seay*, 656-5095; Watson, 656-7880; and M. Williams, 656-7127. (* indicate Democrat.)

S.B. 44 “Citizenship Privileges for Illegal Aliens” by Senator Orrock (D) reverses current law prohibiting in-state tuition for noncitizen students who are not legally in Georgia and have no evidence that gives them in-state classification. The following is the amendment her bill would insert twice in Code Section 20-3-66 paragraph (d) to give in-state tuition to illegals:
“Except for noncitizen students who have received a grant of deferred action for childhood arrivals from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security students shall not be classified as in-state for tuition…”[Her amendment (underlined above) raises deferred action to citizenship status for illegal aliens.]

Further, S.B. 44 reverses technical college tuition regulations in order to give noncitizens the same privileges as citizens. She would negate current policies with the following amendment: “provided, however, that such rules and regulations may extend the same consideration that is given to citizens of the U.S. to noncitizens who have received a grant of deferred action for childhood arrivals from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in determining whether such noncitizens qualify for in-state classification of tuition fees.”

ACTION – Oppose. Contact Higher Education Senators Millar, Ch. 404 463-2260; Martin, 656-3933; B. Jones, 656-0082; Beach, 463-1378; L. Jackson*, 463-5261; McKoon, 463-3931; Orrock*, 463-8054; B. Thompson, 656-0065; and M. Williams, 656-7127. (* denotes Democrat)

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