A last-ditch effort to ban driver's licenses for immigrants who have been granted a humanitarian reprieve from deportation – because they were brought here as children -- died on a bipartisan 27-8 vote in the state Senate on Monday.

The amendment was offered by Bill Heath, R-Bremen. Opposition was led by another Republican, Tommie Williams of Lyons – the former Senate president pro tem, a former missionary, and a farmer who deals in pine straw and blueberries.

The video won’t be available until tomorrow, but below are a few transcribed excerpts. Williams began by riffing on the state’s motto of “Wisdom, Justice and Moderation,” which he occasionally imprints on pottery.

It has not often been a formula cited by Republicans in recent years. Said Williams:

"The folks that came here, that we're referring to, have come to America not of their own accord. They came here because their parents brought them here.

"And I think what the amendment does is punish the son for the sins of the parent. The son is not responsible for the sin of the parent. And not only that, we educated them through kindergarten and middle school and high school, and basically said, 'You're American.'

"I understand what the law says. I understand the law. And the law should be enforced. But the law's not being enforced and the [federal government] is saying these people have the status to be here. And frankly, we can't fix that. Only Congress can fix that. We continue to try to be Congress. Immigration is not a state issue.

"These kids – some of them have grown up to be 30 years old now – live in no man's land….and what are we doing? I don't agree with what the president has done, but it's done….They've been given status to be here. Now, what do you want them to do? What do you want these kids to do?

"Do you want them to work? They have the status to work. Do you want them to work? You educated them for 12 to 13 years to work. I want them to work. I want to take taxes out of their checks. And if they have the right to work, they have the right to get a driver's license and go do the work…..

"And what happens when they can't get to work? They go on unemployment or on the welfare rolls. Or food stamp rolls. Would you prefer that they be there?"

There is more, but that was the gist. Defeat, by the way, came by an unrecorded hand vote.