By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD — The House killed two bills to allow immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses without the state’s current requirements at its session Thursday.
One bill dealt with immigrants seeking asylum and the other would require undocumented immigrants to pass written and driving tests to obtain a license.
Supporters said the bill would address real needs of people in the state and would make driving safer for everyone, while opponents said current regulations are adequate and the changes would have opened the door to illegal voting and would have made New Hampshire a sanctuary state.
The House killed House Bill 1093 that would have allowed legal immigrants seeking asylum to have temporary driver’s licenses without having to wait for a work permit as the law now requires.
Those supporting the bill said it would close a loophole in the system and allow those seeking asylum who now have to wait a year or more for a work permit.
“It is our obligation to try to fix problems we see confronting people who live in this state,” said Rep. George Sykes, D-Lebanon. “This is a temporary closing of a loophole in current regulations.”
But opponents said current law is sufficient and the problem stems from the number of immigrants flowing into the country because the federal government is not enforcing its immigration laws.
“I don’t believe we have any obligation to change our laws because the federal government chooses to ignore theirs,” said Rep. Tom Walsh, R-Hooksett.
The bill was killed on a 186-161 vote.
The House also killed House Bill 1666, which would have allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license after passing a driver’s education program.
Sykes said the bill is to improve public safety by ensuring immigrants have the driving skills they need so the roads are safer.
He said the bill has nothing to do with voting integrity and grants no further privileges beyond driving.
“It is not enough to merely feign support for refugees from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and other war-torn countries with messages of support on social media or with a lapel pin,” Sykes said. “We must actively work to craft policies that support refugees’ dignity and improve safety for everyone in our state.”
But Republicans charged that the bill would allow anyone with $150 from anywhere to obtain a state driver’s license and nothing stops them from using that identification to vote.
Rep. Ted Gorski, R-Bedford, said the bill also prevents the state from sharing any information with federal immigration agencies .
“This is going to create a sanctuary state here in New Hampshire,” Gorski said.
The bill was killed on a 189-160 vote.
Mileage tracking
The House did approve House Bill 1401, which would prohibit state inspection stations or the Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing mileage data with the federal government.
Supporters said it is aimed at the pilot program proposed in the bipartisan infrastructure bill and would not interfere with the state’s study commission looking at how best to fund highways with declining gas tax revenues on the state and federal levels.
Greater fuel efficiency and more electric vehicles have decreased gas tax returns in recent years, and one proposal would be to tax the miles driven during a year.
But opponents said it could well interfere with the state’s ongoing challenge to find a better source of revenue to support highways and bridges.
The bill passed on a 189-160 vote and now goes to the Senate.
Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.
