A Tennessee Senate committee on Wednesday voted down a bill that would have required the state to provide a form of driver’s license to illegal immigrants which would have conferred the same rights and privileges as official licenses issued to United States citizens.
State Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) called the identification documents “driver privilege cards” during Wednesday’s Senate Transportation and Safety Committee meeting, arguing her bill would have made roads safer in Tennessee.
She noted that illegal immigrants in Tennessee, unable to get a driver’s license, may not know or follow Tennessee traffic laws and are likely “unable to get insurance” as a result.
A summary of the bill clarifies her legislation, SB 1808, would have authorized the Department of Safety “to issue a driver privilege card or permit that confers the same privileges as a driver license to a person who is not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident.”
Under the bill, an illegal immigrant would need to reside in the state and provide proof of earning income while in Tennessee to receive a driver’s privilege car.
Her bill would have also prohibited Tennessee from releasing information about illegal immigrants from its database to law enforcement, except when requested by the parent of a minor immigrant or a federal or state agency.
Campbell was the only member of the committee to vote in favor of the bill, with eight voting against the legislation. The House version of the legislation, HB 2105 by State Representative Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville), is set to be considered by lawmakers this month.
The senator’s attempt to create a system for illegal immigrants to legally drive on Tennessee roads and highways came just months after a former Knoxville official with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDSHS) pleaded guilty to creating “hundreds” of fraudulent driver’s licenses with her husband.
According to the Department of Justice, the Knoxville couple sold the fraudulent driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants throughout the state for $2,500.
The couple additionally created phony birth certificates, Social Security cards, lease agreements, and driver’s licenses from other states in furtherance of their illegal business.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
TN issued THOUSANDS of drivers licenses for illegals in the 1990’s, many the nine11 hijackers
had them.
The old testing center on Murfreesboro road had lines 200+ yards long at 7am, I drove by twice a day before something changed.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DON’T NEED TO BE DRIVING MUCH LESS GETTING INSURANCE.
they need to be deported?
DUI heidi is some kinda stupid
Nope, not in Tennessee…..Heidi Campbell needs to go…..
The logic evinced by Heidi Campbell tells us she is ill qualified to be in the State House. The illegal aliens time and again prove they do not abide by the law. Their being here illegally already states that. Now to opine providing an illegal alien driving privileges will culminate in their securing insurance and following traffic laws is absurd. When seeing such foolishness, it is inevitable to see a “D” as in democrat following the representative’s name.
This quote from above says it all:
She noted that illegal immigrants in Tennessee, unable to get a driver’s license, may not know or follow Tennessee traffic laws and are likely “unable to get insurance” as a result.
To the bleeding heart liberals who put the satisfaction of their misguided emotions above those of our national laws, its a given that America should be over run with third worlders. Campbell is so concerned that ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS might break the law while THEY ARE ALREADY BREAKING THE LAW by being in our country, as well as being behind the wheel of a vehicle without a drivers license.
I have so many articles about drunken illegal aliens kill people in accidents, or causing major traffic problems BECAUSE THEY CANNOT READ ENGLISH.
Illegal aliens should be given nothing but a jail sentence. Let Biden personally fund their care while incarcerated. Send them back to where they came from and bill the DNC, CNN, ABC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, NPR, and any elected official who supported this illegal invasion.
People that want to cater to illegals have no business being in our Gov’t.