New York’s ‘Green Light Bill’ Offers Driver’s Licenses to Illegal Immigrants

On Monday the New York Senate passed the “Green Light Bill,” which is designed to give illegal aliens what New York considers the “right to a driver’s license. Last week, the New York State Assembly passed the bill with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo. Last night Gov. Cuomo signed the bill into law. This makes New York the thirteenth state in the United States to allow illegal aliens to obtain a driver’s license.

A recent poll released by Siena College showed more than 50% of New Yorkers who were surveyed were against the proposed bill to allow illegal aliens to get driver’s licenses, as reported by CBS. The issue is especially contentious in some suburban communities where there are prominent claims that the legislation is an attempt to offer illegal aliens a path to citizenship. Proponents of the bill in the New York state government say that it would “boost the economy, lower the number of uninsured, and improve safety on the road.”

Democratic state Senator Alessandra Biaggi explained what she believed to be the intention of the bill:

It’s not about giving someone a driver’s license who’s gonna try to get citizenship. It’s about providing someone with the opportunity to be able to drive and have transportation to serve us and our communities collectively

Gov. Cuomo stated that he would ask state Solicitor General Barbara Underwood to review the bill before it crossed his desk, he added that he would not sign the bill if it allowed federal authorities like Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to the DMV database. The law will go into effect in 180 days, meaning the first licenses afforded to illegal aliens will be available in December. Reportedly, illegal aliens will have to follow the same requirements and procedures as all other citizens to obtain a license.

For more on this story, please visit CBS