Driving without a license could become a felony under a bill that passed the Georgia House on Thursday.
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The words "illegal immigrant" were never mentioned during the 27-minute debate on Senate Bill 350, but lawmakers got the message anyway.
"That's what it's about," said state Rep. Chuck Sims (R-Ambrose), when asked if the bill was aimed at illegal immigrants.
The bill passed in a 99 to 68 vote.
Sims objected to the bill because of the severity of the punishments it would impose. Sims also warned House colleagues that local governments could be forced to spend more money on their jails if the are forced to lock up traffic offenders for months at a time.
"I don't understand why we keep locking folks up," said said. "It's just going to cost the counties more and more money, more to the cities."
The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Wiles (R-Kennesaw), requires a jail sentence of one to five years on the fourth offense of driving without a license in a five-year period. The bill also requires a prison sentence of two days to 12 months on the first offense.
Currently, most people bond out of jail in hours after being caught driving without a license.
"We're having a big problem with people driving that are not licensed," said state Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica), citing traffic fatalities involving unlicensed drivers.
The measure could greatly affect illegal immigrants because they are unable to legally obtain a driver's license in Georgia.
State Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D-Decatur) asked for a reconsideration vote next week to try to defeat the measure. If the move fails to reverse the House vote on Thursday, the measure would head back to the Senate because it was amended by the House.
The amendment would exempt drivers who don't have their licenses with them when stopped by police.
"This deals with someone that's never went and got a license," Bearden said.
Sims suggested another solution.
"I would like to see them confiscate the automobile. You don't have to feed the automobile. You don't have to confiscate the automobile. You don't have to make sure it [goes] to the hospital," Sims said. "If folks can't drive with a license, just lock [the car] up."
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Comments
By tito
Mar 20, 2009 2:37 PM | Link to this
ya ppl r so fckn rasist u knw that if the usa star diportin imigrant the busines in the usa would go down they are the one workin their butts of nd at the end of the year they get nuthn bak cuz the usa use their tax money to give white ppl foodstamp
By tito
Mar 20, 2009 2:36 PM | Link to this
ya ppl r so fckn rasist u knw that if the usa star diportin imigrant the busines in the usa would go down they are the one workin their butts of nd at the end of the year they get nuthn bak cuz the usa use their tax money to give white ppl foodstamp
By ranny huffman
Dec 21, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
the right of the citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon either by carriage or by automobile is not privilege which a city may prohibit or permit at will but a common law right which he has under the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, thompson v. smith, 154 se 579
By mima
Dec 16, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this
I hate to see their are so many racists people in the USA. The illegal immigrants are only helping the USA, yes is true they don't pay taxes, and their children born in the USA may be able to receive services from social services, but they are the ones that break their neck all they long. You people just don't know anything, i bet if one of you were out there on a cold rainy day planting or at construction job on a roof working hard you wouldn't last a day those illegal immigrants have to do that every day. Is not there fault their country have a hell of a government and president. I am Mexican and my parents were once immigrants, and i understand the suffrage of those innocent immigrants that fear to be deported.
By joe
Nov 30, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this
Illegals are just that: ILLEGAL. They have broken the law to get here, continuously break the law by staying here, and are the SINGLE WORST THREAT FACING AMERICA today. Many would say that our worst problem is the state of the economy. This problem would be greatly alleviated if only the 8-10% of the population, i.e. the ILLEGAL people that benefit from our government, paid taxes like LEGAL Americans do.
I have personally known many illegal immigrants, and they all know that what they are doing is wrong, they just don't admit it to their children (see Jazmin, Oct 8).
Businesses want to make a quick buck by hiring cheap labor, Illegals want rights and priveleges without paying anything into the system, drug traffickers want an invisible border, but what about LEGAL Americans? Is it so cruel to want to live honestly, and to (heaven forbid) expect others to do the same?
Why are we constantly being told that we don't want the jobs that ILLEGALS have? We have mouths to feed, our own services to pay for, services benefiting ILLEGALS to pay for, and banks and businesses to bail out.
It gets old hearing about how "hardworking" the ILLEGALS are. I work for a living, and 27% of my paycheck disappears before I see it- and it would be more if I were to escape poverty into the "middle class". It costs me several hundred dollars to visit an emergency room. I have to insure my vehicle. I have to actually answer to (pay) a traffic ticket (there is an additional fee added on to each ticket to cover uninsured drivers). Food and lodging cost the same to me as everyone else. Life ain't all peaches and cream for us LEGAL folk, either.
I would argue that a "hardworking" people would work hard enough in their own country to LEGALLY move here, should they choose, like my great, great grandfather and so many others from all over the world have done for 200 years.
By crazyguy
Oct 11, 2008 1:26 AM | Link to this
I am going crazy n i mean crazy reading most of this crazy S. Iam 21 year old and been here for 19 to my whole life in the USA. Consider my self an american n but yet dont have a DL. If your smart you will know why. Iam a very smart guy with my future going down the toilet. For all i know if i ever go to jial or prison because of my status. My country that I call my country USA has a crazy criminal on the lose. Not very smart but what can i do? "I'AM LOST" "I dont hate any race" N one more thing this whole world is crazy its all about money.
By Jazmin
Oct 8, 2008 9:58 PM | Link to this
How can you guys be so cruel.Some of you guys don't even think about the family's and how hard they work. I'm illegal and 16 yrs old and i just hate to see my dad struggling for us. The other day he got stopped by a cop and was nice enough to let my dad keep the car and just gave him a warning.
By Jeffrey
Sep 7, 2008 1:51 AM | Link to this
It's truly incredible to the extend that people are willing to talk without actually accepting the reality that is seen in the U.S everyday.
If you come to think about, who are the ones building your homes, who are the ones building your communities? It's certainly not you because you are on an office sitting down all day with air conditioner, while those hard working people spend all their physical and psychology strength just to be able to help their families by being modest and honest.
People that talk racist b.s should think about what they see in their everyday life at least for one second and realize that all they "help" their communities is simply by adding more work for those hard working people.
I would like to see any of one day working as hard as any of them do. I can assure that you would certainly not like that life any day of the week. They're doing all the hard work in the U.S and yet people whine about it? Who is going to do the work if no one wants to do it?
Next time before you say crap about those people have some sense of deciency and look around in your community to see who really MAKES the communities.
By Junio
Jun 17, 2008 11:06 PM | Link to this
God of israel is god of immigrant too. Don't foget.
By saul
May 22, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this
why areyou so blind? just read the papers and you will see how many employers from allusa are lookin for workers so you will see we are not criminals'
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