Oregon Legislature

Proponents of Referendum Opposing Driver Cards for Illegal Aliens Defeat Measure Undermining it

Proponents of a referendum that seeks to overturn an Oregon law giving illegal aliens access to driver cards defeated an attempt to undermine the ballot measure. A bill that would have re-written the referendum title in a manner favorable to keeping the law failed to clear the State Senate before adjournment.

Oregon Referendum 301 – a ballot measure entitled Protect Oregon Driver Licenses – will give Oregon voters an opportunity in November to overturn a law passed last year that gives illegal aliens access to driving privilege cards. The Oregon Supreme Court is currently handling a dispute over the ballot’s title but proponents of the law sought to preempt those deliberations by legislatively re-writing the title in a manner favorable to keeping the law.

The title as qualified for the ballot states: “Provides Oregon resident driver card without requiring proof of legal presence in the United States.” The Oregon House passed a bill (HB 4054) to re-write the ballot as follows: “Establishes limited purpose, duration driver card for individuals who prove Oregon residency, meet driving requirements.”

Proponents of HB 4054 claimed the ballot title “doesn’t reflect their goal of improving public safety” – a rationale often used by those seeking driving privileges for illegal aliens. But the Oregon DMV recently announced the law’s passage has not thus far reduced unlicensed driving.

Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR), the group that qualified the referendum for the ballot, argued the Oregon Supreme Court should decide the matter of the ballot title, not the state legislature. And they had high-profile help from a major newspaper – The Oregonian. The paper’s editorial board on Feb. 24 called the legislative re-write, “a breathtakingly cynical move that would taint the very law they’re trying to preserve.” And in a second editorial on Feb. 25, the board said proponents are trying to “hijack the normal process for writing ballot titles. “

The phone calls, emails and personal lobbying efforts by OFIR leaders paid off. HB 4054 was set for a vote in the Senate Rules Committee, which schedules floor action, but the committee never took up the bill before the legislature’s adjournment.

OFIR President Cynthia Kendoll said in a statement, “Oregonians and every major newspaper across the state raised their voices in loud protest of the Oregon Legislature's unprecedented attempt to hi-jack the ballot language for the citizens veto referendum #301. Their intentions were crystal clear - to re-write the ballot title and summary to deceive the public - to confuse the voter - and ultimately win the election by burying the fact that SB 833 grants state issued ID, in the form of a special driver license, to applicants who can't prove legal presence in the US. Oregonians prevailed and the bill died Friday when the Senate refused to bring it to the floor for a vote.” Read more about Proponents of Referendum Opposing Driver Cards for Illegal Aliens Defeat Measure Undermining it

“Accident”? Oregon’s illegal alien “Carnivals of Crime” are back, offering health insurance and dancing girls

Dancing girls, driver’s licenses, health insurance, free food and information on Common Core were offered exclusively in Spanish at a local Portland school Saturday. The party like event for las familias, signals the return of what we used to call, “Carnivals of Crime” for illegal aliens. With the ‘revelation’ that illegal aliens have been ‘accidentally’ signed up for OrBamaCare, these kind of events once again take on added importance.

Citizen Journalist Daylight Disinfectant attended the Saturday event. See his video below.

The state of Oregon used to regularly offer these party-like events to offer Spanish speaking folks in Oregon (some of whom were legally here and some who were not), free stuff–including food stamps, medicaid and welfare.

Adorable little dancers.

Adorable little dancers.

They ended when Oregonians for Immigration Reform outed the practice–embarrassing state officials who were then excoriated for giving out hard earned American tax dollars to law breakers.

While there’s no doubt the Obama recession has caused many illegal aliens to head back to their home countries, it’s also true many illegal aliens have stayed in Oregon. It’s no “accident” that Cover Oregon and other state programs have attempted to sign them up.

 


  Read more about “Accident”? Oregon’s illegal alien “Carnivals of Crime” are back, offering health insurance and dancing girls

Oregon: House Votes to Hijack Ballot Title Process and Confuse Voters

On Thursday, the Oregon House of Representatives voted 36-24 to pass House Bill (H.B.) 4054, which would hijack the ballot title process established under Oregon law. If enacted, H.B. 4054 would not change the ballot process rules for all time, but instead make an exception to the normal process in just this one instance.

Representatives in the state House moved to change the process only after true immigration reformers and activists in the state were successful at getting a referendum added to November's ballot that would overturn the state's law that grants driver's licenses to illegal aliens. The activists worked for months to get the signatures, documents, and proper language approved by the Attorney General so that all Oregonians could vote on the issue. (See FAIR Alert, Oct. 29, 2013)

However, H.R. 4054 threatens to completely sabotage the work of Oregonians, whom these legislators claim to present. The bill would rewrite the state attorney general's certified ballot title, bill summary, and questions to be posed to voters for a citizen-initiated veto referendum scheduled to appear on the November 2014 ballot. The referendum asks voters to approve or reject Senate Bill (S.B.) 833 that was passed last year, which grants driver's licenses to illegal aliens. (Id.)

H.B. 4054 seeks to change the current ballot title in two major ways. First, it removes critical language regarding the very topic of the question voters are asked to decide. The ballot title and related language as certified by the attorney general clearly state that S.B. 833 grants driver's licenses to illegal aliens. In an attempt to confuse and sway voters, the House version passed on Thursday removes any mention of this fact. The ballot title and related language is often the only description that many voters see and can have a dramatic effect on how a person votes.

Then, to make matters worse, H.B. 4054 insulates itself from the veto referendum process and prohibits judicial review of the revised ballot title. Under current Oregon law, any voter dissatisfied with the ballot title certified by the attorney general may appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court. Indeed, several parties have filed objections with the court here. H.B. 4054 would void those appeals.

Many legislators oppose H.B. 4054 because they believe the bill undermines the very purpose of the ballot initiative process: offering voters a way to check on the legislative process. "We're tinkering with the process that was meant to get around us, the Legislature," Representative Jason Conger said. (The Statesman Journal, Feb. 28, 2014) "It's a slap in the face to those people who want to make their voices heard," said Representative Cliff Bentz. (Id.)

Legislators who support the rewrite argue that it is necessary to express their intent in passing S.B. 833. "The reasons we (passed the law) were for providing access so that people could drive licensed and insured," said Representative Jessica Vega Pederson. (The Oregonian, Feb. 27, 2014) "We want to make sure the ballot title reflects that intent. This is something we feel needs to be fixed." (Id.)

Several major newspapers in Oregon have come out in opposition to H.B. 4054. The Oregonian editorial board has pulled no punches, calling H.B. 4054 a "disguised marketing effort" that seeks to bury the truth. (The Oregonian, Feb. 25, 2014) "The Legislature's effort to write its own ballot title has nothing to do with accuracy. The effort, rather, betrays a belief that voters won't approve S.B. 833 if they know what it actually does. This fear may be well-founded, but that's no reason for lawmakers to debase their institution in this fashion." (Id.) The Bulletin has called H.B. 4054 "legislative overreach" attempting "to hide the issue and confuse voters." (The Bulletin, Mar. 2, 2014) The Statesman Journal has declared that "Legislators are mocking voters" and violating "the constitutional separation of powers" by interfering with the referendum process. (The Statesman Journal, Feb. 28, 2014) It recommends the Senate "deep-six" H.B. 4054. (Id.)

H.B. 4054 is now in the Senate Rules Committee awaiting consideration. If the bill passes the Senate, it must then be approved by the Governor before it can become law. Read more about Oregon: House Votes to Hijack Ballot Title Process and Confuse Voters

California Driver’s License Program Hits an Unexpected Hurdle

BELL, Calif. — The auditorium was packed. There were single mothers, day laborers, grandparents pushing infants in strollers and teenagers interpreting for parents. All of them faced a potentially life-changing prospect: Within a year, California will start offering driver’s licenses to immigrants who are living in the country illegally.

But one person after another stepped to the microphone and expressed fear that the licenses, far from helping them, could instead be used to deport them.

Last year, when California became the most populous state to pass a law permitting undocumented residents to obtain driver’s licenses, advocates for immigrant rights were thrilled, saying it would allow people to commute without fear while also decreasing rates of hit-and-run accidents and uninsured drivers on the roads. Now those advocates are confronting another formidable obstacle: the deep and longstanding mistrust of the American government among this population.

It turns out that persuading immigrants who have spent decades avoiding the authorities to willingly hand over their names, addresses and photographs to the government is no easy sell — particularly since the licenses will look different from regular ones, in ways that have yet to be determined.

“I believe this license process is not secure,” one woman, who declined to identify herself, told state officials at an informational hearing here hosted by the Department of Motor Vehicles. “Is this a trap?”

“It’s not a trap,” said Ricardo Lara, the state senator who represents this working-class city, where more than 40 percent of the population is foreign born. State law guaranteed that their information would not be shared with other government agencies, like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he said, adding, “Your information is protected.”

California, home to an estimated 2.5 million immigrants living in the country illegally, has been busy fashioning itself as the most welcoming state for immigrants, passing measures designed to reduce deportations, offering in-state tuition to all residents, and more. But skepticism among this population has grown since President Obama took office, as deportations have hit record highs and efforts to reform immigration laws have stalled in Congress.

Combating this mistrust, Mr. Lara said in an interview, is “the most significant challenge” of getting unauthorized residents — many of whom are already behind the wheel without licenses — to take road tests and buy auto insurance.

“People are skeptical, and rightfully so,” Mr. Lara said. “These are people who have been living in the shadows, living in constant fear. We have to work hard to ensure we really protect these folks.”

 

Atalia Cervantes, a mother of three who came here illegally from Mexico two decades ago, drives every day, despite her lack of a license.

“Every time I buckle my seatbelt, I am afraid,” said Ms. Cervantes, 30, who drove nearly an hour with her oldest daughter to voice her concerns at the hearing. “It’s affecting my girls. My youngest girl said: ‘Mommy, why are you so afraid of the cops? Cops are for protecting us.’ ”

Still, she was not sure if she would apply for a driver’s license. She worried that with it set to look different from those given to legal residents, it might lead rogue police officers to arrest people like her and call the immigration authorities, even though that is prohibited by law.

“If they write something on the back of the license that says it can’t be used to deport me, then maybe I’ll get one,” she said.

A growing number of states across the country are beginning to face this same challenge of winning illegal immigrants’ trust. Last year, eight states joined New Mexico, Utah and Washington in extending special driving privileges.

Nevada began issuing “driver authorization cards” to immigrants in the country illegally at the start of this year, with the goal of reducing the number of untested and uninsured drivers on the road. Lines at Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles offices in January wrapped around corners. Through Feb. 10, more than 16,000 people had applied for driver authorization cards.

 

Despite the early rush of applicants, however, many immigrants were not convinced that the cards were safe, said David Fierro, a department spokesman.

Photo

 

A man held up his day labor identification card.Credit Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times

“There is a high level of distrust,” Mr. Fierro said. “People were convinced that no matter what we were saying, once we had them in our system, we would pass their information on and someone would be there to round them up.”

“I don’t think that’s been completely dispelled,” he said. “Some are still waiting to see what happens with their friends who apply.”

Overcoming this distrust is essential to making sure the program works, Mr. Fierro said, since the point is to get unlicensed and uninsured drivers off the road. The state is optimistic: Nevada, with about 250,000 undocumented residents, hired 18 people to deal with the influx of immigrants seeking driving privileges.

California, home to about a quarter of all immigrants in the country illegally, is hoping for a much larger rush. State officials here expect 1.4 million people to apply for the licenses, and the California Department of Motor Vehicles will hire 1,000 new workers and open four temporary offices, which will serve only people seeking new licenses.

The agency has also been working with consulates to help people in California get identifying documents from their home countries, a requirement for anyone applying for a driver’s license; officials have not yet decided what documents will be accepted. Under the law, the state must begin issuing the licenses by next January.

Identification records can be expensive and difficult to obtain, especially for people who have not returned to their home countries in decades. Mr. Lara said he hoped the state would also accept less formal proofs of identification, like baptismal and marriage records from churches.

At the meeting here, many people came with identification cards from day laborers’ associations, immigration rights groups and other local groups they belonged to, hoping that would be enough.

Critics argue that this approach would invite identity fraud. In New Mexico, which has issued driver’s licenses to unauthorized residents since 2003, state officials have complained about such fraud, prompting some Republicans to call for ending the program.

“It would be a sham for the state to represent that they’re actually able to verify identity looking at things like baptismal records or Sam’s Club cards,” said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington. “This process is an exercise in providing documentation to people whose legitimate identities cannot be ascertained.”

Andrea Guadarrama, a housekeeper and grandmother of eight who lives in Los Angeles and attended the hearing here, said she worried about what the new licenses would look like.

“I’m concerned about the mark that will go on our licenses,” she said. “We are already marked by our color and our names, and the police are against us.”

Even so, Ms. Guadarrama said she planned to apply for a license as soon as she was able. For now, she takes the bus from her apartment downtown to work in Santa Monica, a ride that can take up to three hours.

She did not know how or where she would get the documents she needed to prove her identity — after 27 years in the United States, she said, she no longer has her birth certificate from Mexico — but said she would do whatever was necessary.

“Oh, my God. If I had a license, I could make more money, see my grandkids more,” she said. Read more about California Driver’s License Program Hits an Unexpected Hurdle

Oregon driver-card ballot title rewrite advances to Senate, referendum process comes under fire

Despite repeated suggestions that the Oregon House of Representatives was thwarting the will of the citizens of Oregon, the House voted 36-24 Thursday to rewrite the ballot title of a November referendum.

House Bill 4054, which now goes to the Senate, would change the title’s language from “Provides Oregon resident driver card without requiring proof of legal presence in the United States” to “Establishes limited purpose, duration driver cards for individuals who prove Oregon residency, meet driving requirements.”

Lawmakers spent considerable time debating the bill. Many, including Republican representatives Kim Thatcher, Jason Conger, Sal Esquivel and Bruce Hanna, reasoned that residents of Oregon who hadn’t approved of the bipartisan Senate Bill 833 that was passed last year authorizing the driver cards, had used the people’s long-established process, and the House was now trying to subvert that effort.

“We’re tinkering with the process that was meant to get around us, the Legislature,” Conger said.

“We passed a law the people didn’t like. They jumped through all the hoops, made a good-faith effort and qualified it for the ballot,” said Esquivel. “We’re not letting the people exercise their rights.”

“It’s a slap in the face to those people who want to make their voices heard,” said Rep. Cliff Bentz.

But Democrat lawmakers such as Rep. Phil Barnhart countered by saying that the bill did not change any rules. He pointed out that many Republican-controlled Legislatures had changed the language of ballot titles as well, and pointed to it being done regularly as seen in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2010.

He said writing an accurate ballot title was necessary so that voters can say whether they want to support the actions of the Legislature.

Ballot title are written by the state’s Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. Choosing one is not without controversy because it can have an effect on voter perception.

Unlike initiatives, lawmakers have the option of writing a new title for referendums in the same fashion they draft language for legislative referrals.

Rep Vic Gilliam, R-Silverton, broke from party ranks and supported the bill. He said he thought the attorney general’s work on the title was sloppy, and noted that the ballot title language must match with the intent of the original bill’s language.

Jim Ludwick, communications for Oregonians for Immigration Reform, which spearheaded the signature drive to qualify the ballot measure said the organization was disappointed. It hoped the Senate would not be as easily swayed.

“In my estimation, it’s gotten far away from the driver-card issue and now become an issue on the referendum process,” Ludwick said. “We’re being cut out of the process of checks and balances.” Read more about Oregon driver-card ballot title rewrite advances to Senate, referendum process comes under fire

What will it take to stop the arrogance?

Just when we think many of those in the Oregon Legislature can't get any more arrogant - they surprise us and play the "pathetic" trump card. 

Example:  HB 4054A - a new bill designed to re-write the ballot language of the veto refernedum on SB 833.

Read OFIR President Cynthia Kendoll's guest opinion published in the Oregonian.  We encourage you to post a comment, as well. Read more about What will it take to stop the arrogance?

Oregon lawmakers skirmish over ballot measure on drivers licenses for illegal immigrants

Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that would rewrite the ballot title for the November referendum on short-term drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants.

The current ballot title, drafted by the state Department of Justice, reads: “Provides Oregon resident ‘driver card’ without requiring proof of legal presence in the United States.” That title is currently being reviewed by the Oregon Supreme Court.

Under an amendment to House Bill 4054 introduced and adopted this morning, the reference to “proof of legal presence” would be dropped from the title. The new title would read: “Establishes limited purpose, duration driver card for individuals who prove Oregon residency, meet driving requirements.” The reference to holders of these licenses not needing “proof of legal presence” would appear once in the ballot measure’s summary below the title.

Proponents of the change say the current ballot title doesn’t reflect the intent of the bill passed by the Legislature last year, before opponents collected enough signatures to refer the matter to voters in November.

That bill, Senate Bill 833, grants four-year “driver cards” to illegal immigrants who can provide proof of identity and of at least one year of Oregon residency, and pass a driving test.

Rep. Jessica Vega-Pederson, a Portland Democrat, said this morning that she believes Oregon voters “deserve to weigh in (on the issue) based on accurate information.”

The new proposed title “reflects both the content and the intent” of SB 833, she said.

Rep. Vic Gilliam, a Silverton Republican, bluntly said he does “not respect the ballot title” drafted by the Department of Justice, adding that the “work appears ... to be rather sloppy.”

Changing the title isn’t intended “to confuse or defuse” the controversial issue, Gilliam said. But, he added, “most voters are going to get their ballot in the mail and they need clear, precise, and easy to understand messages on ballot measures (and) on referendums.”

“This is an odd step but it is well within our purview,” he added.

But Rep. Vicki Berger, a Salem Republican, said she believed the proposed change is “inappropriate” and “basically circumvents a (title drafting) process that is long-standing.”

“In this case it appears the Legislature is unhappy with what the attorney general does and feels that it needs to re-do the job that was done,” she said.

The amended bill was approved 6-3 in the House Rules Committee this morning, with three Republicans opposing it. The bill now heads to the House floor. Read more about Oregon lawmakers skirmish over ballot measure on drivers licenses for illegal immigrants

Thursday at 10:30am - Oregon House to debate referendum ballot language hijacking

Alert date: 
February 27, 2014
Alert body: 

The House floor debate was moved to this Thursday - please plan to attend in the House of Representatives gallery.

In one of the most arrogant swipes at citizen activism, some in the Oregon Legislature have put forth an amendment to hijack the veto referendum ballot title and language issued by the Oregon Attorney General.  The House of Representatives will hear the bill Thursday morning at 10:30am.

Read The Oregonian's opinion of their handiwork.
 

If you are able, please plan to join us at the Capitol and watch the debate.  I know there are several Representatives repulsed by the actions of their peers.

Be certain to bring quarters - it costs .25 cents for every ten minutes of parking ($1.50 and hour).

 

Driver card referendum: House panel advances bill to rewrite ballot title

SALEM --

....Lawmakers propose to change the ballot title to "Establishes limited purpose, duration driver card for individuals who prove Oregon residency, meet driving requirements."

The title would emphasize residency requirements and remove the reference to "legal presence" in the current version of the title: "Provides Oregon resident 'driver card' without requiring proof of legal presence in the United States."

...The bill would also rewrite the summary of the measure and the effects of a yes or no vote.

..."In my view, using the 'proof of legal presence' phrase in some ways is appropriate because it is in the bill a couple of times, but to use it in the ballot title is a terribly gross misapplication of that term," he said.

Rep. Vicki Berger, R-Salem, voted against advancing the bill to the floor and said it was inappropriate for the legislative branch to step in to rewrite a ballot title because it was "unhappy" with what Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum wrote.

...."I have some real issues about the various branches of government staying within their work and purview."

  Read more about Driver card referendum: House panel advances bill to rewrite ballot title

Driver card referendum: Oregon Legislature could rewrite ballot title

SALEM -- The Oregon Legislature could rewrite the title of a contentious measure on the November ballot asking voters whether to grant driver cards to residents who can’t prove they’re in the state legally.

Legislative leaders will likely decide in the next week or so whether to take that step, said Rep. Jessica Vega Pederson, D-Portland, and other sources....

Three groups have challenged the ballot title and other parts of the measure before the Oregon Supreme Court, but legislators may try to step in before their 35-day session ends. Opponents say the Legislature shouldn’t interfere...

Cynthia Kendoll, president of Oregonians For Immigration Reform, which gathered signatures to send the issue to voters, accused lawmakers of overstepping.

“Just when it looks like we might be successful with this, these legislators are kind of pulling a desperate move to see if they can’t rewrite the rules of the game,” she said. “I don’t think the people who wrote and passed the law should be the people writing the ballot title.”...

  Read more about Driver card referendum: Oregon Legislature could rewrite ballot title

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