Repeal Seems Dead, But Just In Case …

Hartford — A Republican legislator’s bill to repeal a state law that allows undocumented people to obtain driver’s licenses is expected to die in committee. But New Haven activists and a least one of the city’s state representatives is worried that it won’t stay dead.

The state legislature’s Transportation Committee held a public hearing Wednesday on the bill, which would repeal state law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. The bill is sponsored by State Rep. Rob Sampson, who represents Wolcott and Southington.

More than 150 people attempted to pack out a second floor committee room and had to be ushered into an overflow room downstairs in the Legislative Office Building. Many of those in attendance were there to testify against the bill, while others like New Haveners Flavia Smernoff and John Lugo of Unidad Latina en Acción showed up to show solidarity.

Under the law, undocumented immigrants may obtain a ​“drive only” license that allows them legally to operate a motor vehicle but cannot be used for voting or for ​“federal identification purposes.”

Smernoff said she didn’t understand why a lawmaker would want to repeal a law that took so much to accomplish and means so much to so many people. She said allowing undocumented people to obtain a driver’s license doesn’t harm anyone.

“For me it is a form of ID,” Smernoff, who is an antique dealer who has lived in New Haven for seven years, said. ​“It shows people who I am. If I get killed it will identify me so somebody can come claim me. It’s not so much for me to use [to drive], but it gives me identity.”

Even before any of the people who came to testify were able to do so, several of the lawmakers on the committee let the crowd know that they will not support the bill. So did two of the committee’s co-chairs, Democratic State Rep. Antonio Guerrera and Sen. Carlo Leone.

Guerrera said the current law allows people to go to work, and keeps the streets safe, and there was no good reason to repeal it.

“I do not support this bill and many of us sitting here do not support this bill,” he said. The current law ​“allows people to go to work and to not be scared. It’s a good thing.”

The law passed in 2013 after organizing by immigrant rights groups in New Haven, among other cities. Prominent among them were St. Rose of Lima Church, Unidad Latina, and the activist coalition CONECT.

Leone noted that the bill’s sponsor, Sampson, had not shown up to present his bill and answer questions in front of the committee.

To which committee member and Republican State Rep. Tom O’Dea of New Canaan responded: ​“It’s not fair to say that because he’s not here that he does not support his own bill. There will be a lot to disagree on but I don’t think it’s fair to cast aspersions on the bill’s sponsor. I don’t think that’s right.”

O’Dea said he’d like to see how many immigrants who obtained their ​“drive-only” licenses had also gone on to obtain insurance.

Opponents of the repeal bill didn’t have the numbers on insurance, but they had other statistics: Nearly 28,000 people in the state have obtained the drive-only license. There have been 320 license suspensions, of which 88 were for driving under the influence, or DUI. Zero of those licenses have been used to vote illegally.

They also pointed out that all of the people who have obtained a drive-only license under the current law have gone to driving school, which supports the small businesses that provide those services. And they had to pay a fee to obtain the license and registration, which generates revenue for the state. In addition, opponents of repeal said because of the training, those who have the license are operating safely on the state’s roads, which benefits everyone.

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp’s legislative liaison, Mike Harris, testified on her behalf Wednesday, asking her former colleagues to let the bill die in committee by taking no further action on it.

“Today, with over 100,000 undocumented families living in Connecticut, the idea that local government has the obligation – or even the ability – to remove undocumented residents is not only callous, but impractical and unrealistic,” Harp argued. ​“What’s more, since these people are residents of the state, I believe the duty of government is to ensure their participation in and contribution to the state’s progress. The Drive Only License has contributed to improved safety on state roads, enabling undocumented drivers to access driver training, register cars, and obtain insurance.”

State Rep. Angel Arce of Hartford, a member of the committee, assured those standing outside the hearing room that the bill won’t get to the House or Senate floor for a vote.

“I know it’s dead, he said.

New Haven State Rep. Juan Candelaria, who held a mini-press conference with Latino reporters who had turned out to cover the bill, said he wasn’t so sure that the bill wouldn’t arise from the grave like Lazarus.

“One thing that I’ve learned is that nothing is dead until the end of the session,” he said while waiting to testify Wednesday. That’s because the bill’s sponsor could reintroduce the bill by amending a bill that is germane to the dead bill. ​“The bills sponsor can amend a bill and if it is called to the House floor and we will have to debate this measure there. That’s how it can be resurrected.”

Arce said that Candelaria is right, but he feels confident that it won’t happen. ​“I think we’ve got bigger issues and concerns with the state budget,” he said. ​“This law generates an income for the state.”

Activists like Lugo said he will stick around to make sure the bill doesn’t advance.

“We’re going to stay here,” he said. ​“This something that we’ve been fighting for since 2002, and now that we have it we’re going to defend it until the end.”

Following is a status report on bills of particular interest to New Haven before the state legislature this session:

The 2017 Agenda

Bill #	Status	Summary	Sponsors
SB11/ HB5539	Committee Denied	Would legalize, tax recreational use of marijuana.	Candelaria Dillon Lemar Walker Porter et al
SB 17	Committee Approved	Would make certain undocumented immigrant students (DREAMers) eligible for state college financial aid.	Looney
HB 5434	Committee Approved	Would have CT join with other states to elect the President based on popular, rather than Electoral College, vote.	Winfield, Porter Albis Elliott D’Agostino et al.
HB 5458, HB 6058	Committee Approved	Would establish electronic tolls on state highways.	Genga
HB 5575/HB 7126	Passed Senate	Would regulate companies such as Uber and Lyft.	Scanlon
HB 5589	Passed House	Would expand disclosure requirements for contributions to campaign funds.	Dillon Lemar D’Agostino Elliott et al.
HB 5591	Passed House	Would require equal pay for employees doing comparable work.	Dillon Walker Lemar Albis D’Agostino Elliott et al.
HB 5703	Committee Denied	Would have CT enter into an agreement with other states to limit ​“poaching” of each other’s businesses.	Lemar
HJ 13/HJr 95	Passed House	Would amend the state constitution to permit early voting.	Lemar
HJ 16	In Commitee	Would amend the state constitution to permit absentee voting for all voters.	Lemar
SB 1/HB 6212	Committee Approved	Would require employers to provide paid family and medical leave for their employees.	Looney
SB 2	Committee Approved	Would make the education funding formula more equitable.	Duff
SB 8	Committee Denied	Would allow municipalities to adopt a 0.5% sales tax.	Looney
SB 10/HB 5743	Passed Senate	Would strengthen hate crime laws.	Winfield
SB 13/HB 6208/HB 6456	Committee Approved	Would increase the minimum wage.	Looney Winfield et al. Albis Candelaria D’Agostino Elliott Lemar Paolillo Porter Walker
SB 137	Committee Denied	Would expand birth-to-three and provide universal pre-school, among other things.	Gerratana
SJ 5/HJ 1	Passed House	Would amend the state constitution to create a ​“lock-box” for transportation funding.	Duff
HB 5588	Committee Denied	Would limit certain bond allocations.	Dillon Lemar Albis Walker Elliott et al.
HB 5912HB 6127	Committee Denied	Would establish a 1‑cent/ounce tax on sugared beverages.	Lemar Elliott et al.
HB 6554	Committee Denied	Would tax carried interest as ordinary income.	Porter Albis Lemar Elliott Winfield Candelaria Dillon D’Agostino et al.
HB 5831	Committee Denied	Would provide bonding for transitional housing for NH female ex- offenders.	Porter Candelaria Lemar Winfield Looney Paolillo
SB 631	Committee Denied	Would provide bonding to make structural improvements to the Shubert Theatre.	Winfield Looney Walker Porter Lemar Candelaria Paolillo
HB 6863	Committee Denied	Would authorize bonds for renovating the Barbell Club as a youth/ community center.	Canelaria Porter Paolillo Lemar Winfield
SB 649	Committee Approved	Would allow local building officials to impose fines for building w/o a permit.	Looney Winfield Walker Candelaria Lemar Porter Paolillo Et al.
SB 590/591	Committee Denied	Would limit police ccoperation w/Immigration and Customs Enforcement (590); establish an immigrant’s bill of rights	Winfield
SB 20	Committee Denied	Would require affordability to be considered in reviewing proposed health insurance rate hikes.	Looney
HB 6352	Committee Approved	Would establish a deposit system for car tires.	Ritter Gresko McCrory
HB 6901	Committee Denied	Would impose a surtax on large employers that pay an average wage less than $15/hour.	Elliott
HB 7278	Passed Senate	Would convey various parcels to New Haven, among other things.	Gov’t Administration and Elections