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Committee rejects Nuñez bill, passes substitute
On a 5-4, party-line vote, the House Labor and Human Resources Committee rejected Rep. Andy Nuñez’s bill that would repeal a law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses this afternoon, passing instead a committee substitute that would amend the law in an attempt to address its flaws.
That means the committee substitute for HB 103 will move forward, but Nuñez has also promised to try to bypass the committee process if necessary, as he did last year, to get a floor vote on his version of the legislation.
The substitute bill the committee passed would, according to its title, limit the duration of some licenses, cancel some others, and require “additional identification and proof of residency for foreign nationals,” in addition to increasing penalties for violations.
NMPolitics.net liveblogged the committee hearing today. You can read the archive here.
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As always IP, you are entitled to your opinion and spin on the events, as am I.
Dr. J:
In reference to Wednesday night’s events (which, despite your portrayal, typify the term “disruption”, and hardly counted as targeted violence), Representative Egolf’s exact words were, “[the American Legislative Exchange Council] is the truest embodiment of all the things that people who care about keeping corporate money out of politics, preserving our democracy and keeping our air, land and water clean fear most.” In what way is that statement an inspiration for “violence”? For that matter, just because about half-a-dozen members of the ever-disorganized Occupy movement are taking pages from the Tea Party’s “Shout Down the Other Guy” playbook, how is that in any way indicative of, “how far the left is willing to go these days”?
I also note you don’t reference the fact that, of the whopping two people who suffered minor injuries, one of them was a photographer attacked by members of the Council, nor that, while Representative Egolf’s statement is hardly riotous (particularly when compared with the obsession many far more prominent Republicans have with gun analogies lately), it isn’t half as chilling as Republican Whip Bill Payne’s attacks on the press for doing their jobs, or his colleague Paul Bandy response when talking about Representative Egolf’s right to Free Speech: “[public officials] need to be awful careful about inciting people to violence.”
I’m sorry but it gets a little tiresome to hear Representative Andy Nunez constantly saying that every time he sees a carload of Mexicans he knows that they are just traveling to get driver’s licenses. Does Mr. Nunez stand on I-25 and count the cars?
New Mexico has a sensible policy regarding driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants. The main course of action for Ms. Demesia Padilla, Secretary of the Taxation and Revenue Departments is to reform the Motor Vehicle Division and upgrade the computer systems. Then she can truly monitor the illegal immigrant situation and not speculate without facts. There is no way for Ms. Padilla to know the fraud rate!
This shows how much the liberal Democrats are in denial of the will of the people, and still pandering to their special interests. The violence Wednesday night against Repubs, inspired by words from a legislator, also shows how far the left is willing to go these days.