Massachusetts’ Republican governor has, as expected, vetoed historic legislation that will allow tens of thousands of undocumented immigrant residents in the commonwealth to drive legally. The Work and Mobility Act will still very likely become law, however: Both chambers of the legislature passed the bill with enough votes to override Charlie Baker’s veto.
"The House will override this veto,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said according to CBS News. “In addition to increasing safety on our roads for all drivers, this legislation recognizes the essential role our immigrant neighbors play in our society and economy by ensuring that everyone has access to a driver's license.”
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Baker had steadily claimed he was concerned about supposed voter fraud issues that have been debunked by the bill’s proponents. “His concerns are baseless,” Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin told MassLive last week. “We have some proposals that would address them, even as baseless as they are.” Indeed, a Boston Globe editorial called Baker’s very tired obsession a “red herring.”
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I mean, if Baker really is serious about addressing voter fraud, he should start at his political home, because a lot of it seems to be coming from his own party.
Boston Herald reports that the legislative process to begin overriding Baker’s veto will begin next month. Advocates including Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition and Driving Families Forward Coalition are encouraging residents to contact lawmakers to ensure that they remain firm on passing this important and life-changing bill into law before the legislative session ends at the end of July.
“We are deeply disappointed that Governor Baker has vetoed the Work and Family Mobility Act,” MIRA Coalition Executive Director Elizabeth Sweet said in a statement reported by Boston Herald. “The policy would not only make our communities safer, but benefit our economy and bolster trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities. We hope that the legislature will waste no time in overriding the Governor’s veto.”
Should lawmakers override Baker, Massachusetts will join at least 16 states and Washington, D.C. in ensuring that roads are safer by licensing more drivers. GBH has previously reported that 70,000 undocumented residents in Massachusetts could be eligible for a license under the bill.
Advocates had resumed their efforts to open driver’s license access in 2020, at the start of the pandemic. “During the pandemic, undocumented residents working at hospitals, supermarkets, and other essential jobs have put their health on the line to serve us,” advocates wrote in Commonwealth Magazine at the time. “Asking them to continue to do so while denying them the ability to drive legally introduces needless stress in this new normal.” Data shows that roads have also become safer after similar legislation has been passed in other states.
“In the Trump era, immigrant families risk being torn apart every time they drive,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said. “But Massachusetts has the opportunity to pass legislation to enable all qualified state residents to apply for a standard driver’s license, regardless of immigrant status. All families in Massachusetts should be able to get to work, bring children to school, and make it to medical appointments.”
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