>> ERIC: THE DRIVER'S LICENSES FOR ALL BILL IS MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE.

LAST WEEK, THE HOUSE PASSED THE BILL AND SENT IT TO THE SENATE, WHERE IT CURRENTLY IS IN THE JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.

PROPONENTS SAY IT COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMMIGRANTS, REGARDLESS OF STATUS, AND COULD HELP IMPROVE ROAD SAFETY.

OPPONENTS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT EXTENDING THIS RIGHT TO NON-CITIZENS.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BILL AND ITS IMPLICATIONS, VEENA IYER, WHO HEADS THE IMMIGRATION LAW CENTER OF MINNESOTA.

WELCOME.

MAYBE JUST THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF HISTORY THAT THIS WAS ALLOWED UNTIL AFTER 9/11, RIGHT?

>> CORRECT.

THE LAW IN 2003 IN MINNESOTA WAS THAT F YOU PASSED THE WRITTEN TEST AND YOU COULD OBTAIN INSURANCE, YOU COULD GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE IN MINNESOTA REGARDLESS OF YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS.

>> Cathy: AND THEN IT CHANGED.

>> CORRECT.

IT CHANGED IN 2003 AND O FOR THE 20 YEARS SINCE 2003, A GROUP OF BUSINESSES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FAITH, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IMMIGRANT-LED GROUPS HAVE COOL LESSED TOGETHER TO RESTORE THAT RIGHT.

>> Cathy: I REMEMBER IT WAS A ZILLION YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS TAKING DRIVER'S ED IN HIGH SCHOOL, I REMEMBER THE INSTRUCTOR SAID, HAVING A DRIVER'S LICENSE IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT.

WHY SHOULDN'T BEING A CITIZEN COME FIRST BEFORE YOU GET THE DRIVER'S LICENSE?

>> THE KEY HERE IS THAT THERE'S REALLY NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHETHER YOU'RE A CITIZEN AND THAT ABILITY TO DRIVE.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, THAT A DRIVER'S LICENSE IS JUST CONFIRMING THAT YOU KNOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD, THAT YOU'RE GETTING INSURANCE AND THAT YOU CAN DRIVE ON THE ROAD, AND SO WE REALLY ARE JUST TRYING TO DECOUPLE TWO THINGS THAT DON'T REALLY FIT TOGETHER, WHICH IS CITIZENSHIP AND THE PRIVILEGE TO DRIVE.

>> Eric: THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK THIS IS A GATEWAY TO VOTING ILLEGALLY, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY.

>> YEAH.

IT'S NOT.

THIS IS A DRIVER'S LICENSE BILL, IT IS NOT A VOTING BILL.

AND WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS, ONE, THAT NONCITIZENS ARE NOT VOTING IN MINNESOTA.

IF IT HAPPENS, IT'S VERY, VERY RARE AND IT'S ACCIDENTAL.

>> Eric: WASN'T THERE A WITNESS, THOUGH, WHO SAID WE'RE VOTING AND WE'RE OING TO PUNISH THOSE WHO VOTE AGAINST THIS?

>> WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT THAT IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONTEXT OF WHERE THAT WAS STATED, YOU HAD AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS REALLY TALKING ABOUT MORE BROADLY ABOUT LATINO COMMUNITY, COMMUNITIES WHO CARE ABOUT THESE ISSUES TALKING ABOUT IT.

THAT INDIVIDUAL ACTUALLY EARLIER HAD SAID, I CAN'T VOTE BECAUSE I'M NOT A CITIZEN.

>> Cathy: SO THE GROUPS THAT ARE FOR THIS, IT'S -- WOW, SOME REALLY EXHIBITING GROUPS THAT YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT TO SUPPORT IT ARE SUPPORTING IT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

YOU'VE GOT GROUPS RANGING FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AND THE CHIEF'S ASSOCIATION, A NUMBER OF FAITH ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEN JUST SO MANY IMMIGRANT-LED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALSO SUPPORTING THIS GROUP.

>> Eric: HOW ABOUT N FARM COUNTRY, I WOULD THINK THIS WOULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT THERE.

>> VERY MUCH SO.

WHEN YOU RELEVANT AT BUSINESSES, COMMUNITIES THAT WILL BENEFIT, IT'S REALLY IN GREATER MINNESOTA.

THERE YOU HAVE A SHORTAGE OF FOLKS TO WORK AND LACK OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SO TAKING AWAY THAT FEAR OF DRIVING AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO GET LICENSED IS REALLY GOING TO SOLVE SO MANY ISSUES FOR GREATER MINNESOTA.

>> Cathy: DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER HERE.

WE UNDERSTAND OB ACCESS.

HOW ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY PIECE OF THIS?

>> THERE ARE SO MANY PUBLIC SAFETY BENEFITS AND I THINK THAT'S WHY LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF THIS.

THE TWO MAIN THINGS IS THAT, ONE, IT ALLOWS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE RUNNING INTO ON THE ROADS WHICH RIGHT NOW ISN'T NECESSARILY POSSIBLE BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T GET DRIVER'S LICENSES.

THE SECOND IS IT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF REALLY UNNECESSARY DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE VIOLATIONS THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH, AS WELL.

AND FINALLY, IT JUST MAKES OUR ROADS SAFER.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER STATES THAT HAVE ADOPTED THIS LEGISLATION, YOU SEE A DECLINE IN HIT-AND-RUNS, YOU SEE AN INCREASE IN INSURED DRIVERS, SO IT REALLY JUST MAKES SENSE FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY PERSPECTIVE AND FOR ALL DRIVERS.

>> Eric: DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH REAL I.D., CAN THIS BE A STEP TOWARD THAT OR -- >> IT CAN'T.

SO HERE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IN ORDER TO GET REAL I.D.E.A., YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVE THAT YOU'RE CITIZEN OR YOU HAVE CERTAIN TYPES OF LAWFUL STATUS.

THE I.D.

THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WOULD BE A REELING I.D.

NON-COMPLIANT LICENSE, THE KIND I HAVE BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GOTTEN REAL I.D.

YET SO THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO FOLKS REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS.

>> Eric: THIS IS BIPARTISAN IN THE HOUSE.

>> IN THE HOUSE, T WAS -- IT WAS -- THERE WERE BIPARTISAN -- THERE WERE AMENDMENTS FROM REPUBLICANS THAT WERE ADOPTED INTO THE BILL BUT, AT THE END, WITH THE VOTE, IT WAS ALL DEMOCRATS WHO VOTED FOR THE BILL.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME REPUBLICANS WHO WANTED TO PUT A SPECIAL -- >> Eric: STRIPE?

>> Cathy: YES, STRIPE, THANK YOU, SPECIAL STRIPE ON THE DRIVER'S LICENSE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?

>> SO, WE DON'T THINK THAT IT'S NECESSARY AND WE THINK IT WOULD DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM GETTING THE LICENSE.

IN PARTICULAR, HAVING A MARKING ISN'T NECESSARILY -- BECAUSE WE HAVE REAL I.D.

AND ENHANCED I.D.

NOW, WE HAVE OTHER CATEGORIES OF LICENSES THAT DIDN'T EXIST.

THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE HAVE THE CONCERN ABOUT RACIAL PROFILING THAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU HAD THAT KIND OF MARKING SO I THINK THAT FOR COMMUNITIES AND FRANKLY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE ACCUSED OF IT, HAVING JUST A STANDARDS LICENSE MAKES SENSE.

>> Eric: WE'LL SEE HOW IT