Well, first the bad news: Conservative activists did indeed gather enough signatures to make roads in Massachusetts less safe, and have successfully put their measure seeking to repeal a new law that opens driver’s licenses to all people there, regardless of immigration status, on the November ballot. That law means undocumented residents would be able to apply for a license, pay their fee, and take a driving test, just like any other eligible resident in the commonwealth.
The good news: Support for the Work and Mobility Act has significantly shifted since its passage, with one poll showing that a majority of registered voters want it to stay. The even better news: a group also supportive of the law is investing half a million dollars in ads ahead of Election Day. The first ad, titled “Yes on 4: Route to Safer Roads,” will hit Boston.
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“The ad underscores the key arguments made by lawmakers and advocacy groups who pushed for the original legislation: that the policy would result in safer drivers, that similar laws in other states have led to fewer uninsured drivers, and that it is a policy law enforcement officials across the state have endorsed,” The Boston Globe reports. The ad, which is viewable below, points to how similar pieces of legislation have made roads safer in other states, like California.
“In Massachusetts there’s a route to creating safer roads, no map needed,” a narrator says. “Put yourself in the driver’s seat for road safety. Vote yes on Question 4.”
The Work and Mobility Act doesn’t even go into effect until next year, but conservatives immediately jumped into repeal mode after Massachusetts lawmakers overrode a veto from Republican Gov. Charlie Baker this past June. Fair and Secure Massachusetts, which wants to make roads less safe by repealing the law, was created with backing from influential state Republicans. Conservative activists succeeded in gathering 71,000 verified signatures to qualify for the ballot, which was tens of thousands more than was actually required. “Because the question qualified for the ballot too late, an explanation was not printed in an informational pamphlet mailed to voters,” The Boston Globe said.
But public support for keeping the law in place has trended in its favor. Polling from Suffolk University/Boston Globe in May showed that 47% opposed the law, while 46% supported it. 7% were unsure. By July, 58% said the law should stay while 34% supported repeal. The Boston Globe said the Yes on 4 campaign has “outraised and outspent their opposition between July and October, with the bulk of its donations coming from the 32BJ Service Employees International Union and the ACLU of Massachusetts.”
“Our broad coalition of support has given us the opportunity to hit the airwaves and spread the word about how voting ‘yes’ on Question 4 will support a commonsense law that will make the Commonwealth’s roads safer for all of us,” Brazilian Worker Center executive director Lenita Reason and 32BJ SEIU executive vice president Roxana Rivera said in a statement reported by The Boston Globe. Both serve as campaign co-chairs.
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