|
SUPPORT HOUSE BILL 1100 –
THE ROADWAY SAFETY AND MANDATORY INSURANCE COVERAGE ACT
The Illinois Bishops stated in their March 2006 statement on immigration reform, “undocumented immigrants are our friends, our neighbors, our fellow human beings bound to us by a common humanity.” These immigrants are part of our one human family. Yet, our current regulations do not provide reasonable ways for many immigrants to be served. At the federal level, proposals for reform to fix the broken immigration system are being debated. But until the federal government enacts comprehensive immigration reform, the individual states must deal with the reality of a highly flawed and problematic system. Illinois is not exempt from these problems. One problem is road safety.
Illinois is home to 3.2 million immigrants and their children and by some estimates is in the top six states in the number of undocumented residents. These immigrants contribute greatly to our communities and our workplaces. They must be able to go to work, bring their children to school or to see doctors, and go to grocery stores to provide for their families. There are an estimated 250,000 adult drivers in Illinois who do not have a Social Security Card and therefore cannot obtain a driver’s license and auto insurance. This creates a difficult and dangerous situation for Illinois drivers.
A temporary solution to this problem is to follow the lead of eight other states who have successfully implemented a program for undocumented immigrants to drive legally. In Illinois, this solution is set out in House Bill 1100, the Roadway Safety and Mandatory Insurance Coverage Act, which would create a driver certificate program. These Certificates would not be accepted as federal identification and thus could not be used to board an airplane or purchase a gun. Rather, they would be used to allow someone to legally drive in Illinois and to purchase insurance. They would also provide police in traffic stops a way of knowing who they are dealing with and provide a database with fingerprints and photos for normal police work. The Certificates would require a valid passport, a valid Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), and verification of identity and residence. At a minimum of $60, they would cost more than a license. The current proposed legislation would expire in five years.
This is not an ideal law, but it is better than the current situation. Utah began to issue driver’s licenses in 1999 and then driver’s certificates (“driving privilege cards”) beginning in 2005 to undocumented immigrants with ITINs. Since this program has been in place, the rate of uninsured motorists in Utah fell from 28 percent to 5.5 percent. The legislation in Illinois contains a similar program to make the roads safer for all of us by ensuring all drivers in Illinois have passed a driver’s exam and have access to insurance.
We see the need for comprehensive reform and the need to meet the immediate needs of our brothers and sisters. While we await more comprehensive solutions, bills like House Bill 1100 will help meet immediate needs.
Please vote YES on House Bill 1100 .
|
