Driving cards supported reluctantly

In the wake of a state audit indicating fraud in Utah's driver's license system, immigration became a heated issue this session.

Hundreds of Latinos, some undocumented, had peacefully protested at the Capitol in hopes of keeping drivers' licenses for undocumented immigrants. There was a proposal to revoke the licenses, and another to require illegal immigrants to have their information in a database before they could drive.

In the end, a compromise bill introduced by Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, received the support of two-thirds of lawmakers in the House and Senate and backing by the governor.

It also received the reluctant support of the Utah Hispanic Legislative Task Force, which saw Bramble's bill as better than proposed alternatives.

SB227, which received final Senate approval Wednesday, would replace drivers' licenses with a driving privilege card, which couldn't be used as identification for those with a temporary identification number (ITIN).

The bill will take effect upon the signature of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., something supporters said is needed to prevent a rush to the driver's license office.

As an acknowledgment of the "courage of the mainstream Hispanic community" in offering reluctant support of SB227, Bramble asked the Senate GOP caucus Wednesday to bolster funding for the Multicultural Health Center by $50,000 for a total of $100,000 ongoing. Though the funding had yet to be decided late Wednesday, caucus support was unanimous to insert the funding into the Bill of Bills, he said. Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, had originally requested $300,000 in SB201, which wasn't funded.

"We understand the challenges that many in the Hispanic community face," Bramble said. "Health care is one of them. This should help out a little bit."

A coordinating clause between SB 227 and HB223, sponsored by Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, will also give the driving priviledge cards to legal aliens without a Social Security Number. Those residents were previously unable to obtain a Utah driver's license at all. -->

Bramble's bill was released with a report by the state auditor general, who suggested that "Utah is being used as a portal for undocumented aliens living out of the state to obtain driver's licenses."

The audit also found that 383 people who appeared to be undocumented had registered to vote and that 14 had voted.

Bramble's compromise was one that neither side of the immigration debate embraced.

Opponents said the driving privilege card could lead to racial profiling and discourage people from driving legally. Anti-illegal immigration groups said licenses shouldn't be issued to illegal immigrants at all.