Best for roads to be safe, even at the cost of convenience

In the May 13 edition of the Statesman Journal, I read two items related to the proposed legislation for granting licenses to persons who are here illegally. Both related to my personal experiences.

Charles Hazel wrote a letter to the editor about his trouble renewing his driver’s license. I read about the new licensing requirements and was further educated about them through news media accounts. I had plenty of time to secure an original, out-of-state birth certificate and produce the other documents needed to renew my license. For me the process was seamless and painless.

In response to Rep. Kim Thatcher’s guest opinion, as a police officer employed prior to implementation of the current law, I arrested a person for DUII who was here illegally. Through my investigation, I determined this person had three prior licenses issued under different names and all were suspended for DUII.

I also discovered another license that was eligible for reinstatement. This was accomplished by presenting out-of-country identification that would now again be accepted by DMV to secure an Oregon driver’s license.

This legislation is guaranteed to make us less safe on Oregon roads but less inconvenient for the likes of Mr. Hazel.

William W. Gill

Keizer