11/01/2007

News / Driver's license debate continues

Linked from: http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S242348.shtml?cat=300
Written by: Bill Lambdin

ALBANY - Assembly Republicans will go to court to accomplish what they were unable to do at the Capitol last week -- stop Gov. Spitzer's driver's license plan. That's one of several new developments in a story that is drawing even more national attention.

Not only has the driver's license plan seriously weakened the governor, now the controversy is threatening to slow the Hillary Clinton nomination express. At a debate of Democratic presidential contenders Tuesday night, the U.S. senator from New York first supported, then backed away from Spitzer's license plan for illegal immigrants, within the space of a couple of minutes.

"What Governor Spitzer is trying to do is fill the vacuum. I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do it," Clinton said.

"Senator Clinton, I just want to make sure what I heard. Do you, the New York senator, Hillary Clinton, support the New York governor's plan to give illegal immigrants driver's licenses?" Tim Russert asked.

"This is where everybody plays gotcha," Clinton said.

"You said yes, you thought it made sense to do it," Democratic candidate Chris Dodd said.

"No I didn't, Chris," Clinton stated.

"Unless I missed something, Senator Clinton said two different things in the course of about two minutes," presidential candidate John Edwards said.

The slip is being compared by some with John Kerry's famous claim to have voted for a program before he voted against it in the 2004 race.

Locally, Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco was joined by several fellow Republican Assemblymen who will sue the governor to try to stop his plan.

"And we believe that the governor has unilaterally over stepped his boundaries," Tedisco said.

State senators held yet another hearing on the Spitzer plan Wednesday. This focused on the equipment the Department of Motor Vehicles plans to use to authenticate foreign passports and search huge files to prevent the same person from obtaining multiple licenses by using different names and pictures.

"I welcome the opportunity to clarify misinformation and misleading rhetoric," DMV Commissioner David Swarts said.

The equipment did not work properly last week. The DMV commissioner blames that on a lack of proper training.

If the courts don't stop the plan and legislators don't cut off funds, next year there will be three types of driver's licenses:

A state License that anyone can get, including undocumented individuals.

An Enhanced License that citizens can use to cross into Canada.

A so-called Real ID License for citizens and those with proper permission to be here that can be used to get on planes and enter federal buildings.


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