AZ bill would halt states' licenses as entrants' ID

By Howard Fischer

CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES

PHOENIX — Two Republican lawmakers are pushing to prohibit driver's licenses from states that issue them to illegal immigrants from being used as identification in Arizona.

The restriction, which would apply to any state or local government, would affect licenses from New Mexico, Texas, Oregon and five other states, along with the District of Columbia.

But the move, pushed as another method of cracking down on those who enter the country illegally, could have serious repercussions for Arizonans driving elsewhere.

If Arizona stops recognizing licenses from other states, those states could do the same to Arizona drivers.

HB 2012 was written by Reps. Warde Nichols of Chandler and Russell Pearce of Mesa.

"We believe that the legal status of those who are driving on our roads is critically important," Nichols said. He said that is underscored by the fact that some of the terrorists who hijacked planes and flew them into buildings in 2001 had driver's licenses.

"This is just another mechanism to say … here in Arizona we're serious about this illegal-immigration issue," Nichols said.

Licenses the bill would affect

Do not require proof of legal presence in this country to get a driver's license:

• Hawaii • Maine • Maryland

• Michigan • New Mexico • Oregon

• Texas • Washington • District of Columbia

Source: Motor Vehicle Division Arizona Department of Transportation