Senate candidate's petition calls for public vote on driver licenses

Date: 8/18/2022

AGAWAM – City Councilor and state Senate candidate Cecelia Calabrese is one of the sponsors of a statewide petition for a vote to overturn the recent law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license in Massachusetts.

“What I’m hearing and what I’m seeing is that fentanyl is getting carried across the border, and it’s coming into the country, and the fact that people are coming into the country ignoring our immigration laws, it’s a problem for me,” said Calabrese, who is running as a Republican in the district currently represented by Democrat John Velis.

The law passed by overwhelming margins in the state Legislature, overruling a veto from Gov. Charlie Baker. It allows the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) to issue driver’s licenses to people without having to verify their legal residency in the United States. It is slated to take effect July 1, 2023.

Velis was one of eight senators who voted against the driver’s license bill in the state Senate, and against overriding the governor’s veto.

“We know where I stand on this because my record speaks for itself,” said Velis. “Not only did I vote against it, I voted against it twice. First when it came to the Senate, then again with the governor again to sustain the veto.”

He said the law is “fundamentally flawed,” and will not adequately prevent people from obtaining fraudulent driver’s licenses.

“The RMV is without exception the most flawed agency in the entire state. How are you going to equip the RMV to do this?” said Velis. “Someone could come in and get a driver’s license that’s completely fraudulent.”

Calabrese said the new law will make it possible for non-citizens to vote in Massachusetts elections.

“Massachusetts is what we call a motor-voter state, meaning when you get the driver’s license, you’re automatically registered to vote unless you opt out,” said Calabrese, who added that she is concerned many who would otherwise not be allowed to register to vote might not bother to take the extra step of opting out.

“There’s no requirement to opting out,” she added. “One of the things that was talked about was maybe we can make driver’s license different color so that people will be able to see that,” she added.

Supporters dubbed the law the Work and Family Mobility Act and said licenses would remove fears undocumented immigrants carry with them about losing their residency should they be pulled over by police while driving. They also said roads will be safer if more drivers receive training and carry insurance.

Seventeen other states have passed similar laws regarding driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants. A poll of 569 people conducted by Suffolk University found 58 percent of respondents opposed repealing the current law, while 34 percent favored a repeal.

The petition drive needs to collect 40,120 signatures by Aug. 24 to place a referendum question on the ballot this November. Calabrese said at least 10,000 have already been collected in Middlesex County alone.

Calabrese and Velis are the only declared candidates in their Senate race. After being redrawn following the 2020 Census, the district will include all of Agawam, Easthampton, Holyoke, Montgomery, Russell, Southampton and West Springfield, and part of Chicopee.