“Over 270 businesses, organizations and public servants remain firmly committed to expanding driver’s license access, regardless of immigration status”

 Here’s the latest in the ongoing saga around the Work and Family Mobility Act, which “would enable all qualified state residents to apply for a standard Massachusetts driver’s license, regardless of immigrant status, while keeping our Commonwealth in full compliance with REAL ID requirements.” From the Driving Families Forward Coalition”

[On Friday, May 27], Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker vetoed the Work and Family Mobility Act, which successfully passed out of a State House conference committee and to his desk on Thursday afternoon. The following statement may be credited to the leaders of the organizations co-chairing the Driving Families Forward Coalition, Brazilian Worker Center Executive Director Lenita Reason and 32BJ SEIU Vice President Roxana Rivera: 

“As the co-chairs of a coalition of over 270 organizations endorsing the Work and Family Mobility Act, we are disappointed that Governor Baker has chosen to veto a bill that would indisputably improve road safety, strengthen community and law enforcement relations, assist public health measures in the pandemic, and of course, profoundly transform the lives of undocumented immigrants across the Commonwealth. In his veto, the Governor simply repeats claims that have been disproven before. In crafting the bill, legislators, advocates and law enforcement allies made sure that all applicants would be required to prove their identity with secure, official documents, which is one reason so many chiefs of police, district attorneys, and sheriffs across Massachusetts have enthusiastically supported the measure.

“Likewise, the governor’s objection about fraudulent voting reflects a baseless fear unsupported by the evidence in Massachusetts, where thousands of non-citizens are regularly issued licenses, or in other states. Finally, the claim that the standard license would not distinguish lawful presence is irrelevant because a license is not meant to prove status but simply the ability to drive, thereby improving road safety. We are confident that the majority of legislators from across the state who initially supported the bill will not be swayed by this veto and will swiftly vote to override, thereby making Massachusetts a safer, more just home for everyone.”