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MD House of Delegates Gets Undocumented Driver's License Bill

casademaryland.org

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A Maryland House panel will consider a measure that would allow undocumented immigrants to continue to obtain and renew driver's licenses.

The state Senate passed the bill Monday in a 29-18 vote.

Maryland law currently allows undocumented immigrants to obtain a second-tier driver's license, but that practice is set to expire unless the General Assembly passes a bill that repeals a 2015 deadline to end the practice.

Applicants have to show proof of identification, provide two years of state income tax filings, and pass a written and a driving exam before getting behind the wheel.

Supporters of the measure to be considered on Wednesday say the licenses will make the state's roads safe. Opponents of the legislation argue that the bill could turn Maryland into a haven for undocumented immigrants.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.