The Safe and Responsible Drivers Act was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013 to allow qualified unauthorized immigrants to drive legally. It went into effect Jan. 2 after a long preparation period.

Supporters say the goal of the law, also known as AB60, is to make roads safer by insuring more drivers.

Critics, meanwhile, have said AB60 condones law-breaking. Some have said the licenses could be used to commit fraud and that it could increase security risks.

The nearly 400,000 licenses for applicants who are in the country illegally represent more than half the total number of original licenses issued by the DMV from January through June.

“The latest numbers reflect the continued successful implementation of AB 60,” said DMV Director Jean Shiomoto, in a recent press release. “The DMV was determined to develop a process that would not only meet the stringent requirements of this new law, but also the unique needs of our newly expanded customer base.”

Applicants must prove their identity and California residency, as well as meet all other licensing requirements such as passing the knowledge and behind-the-wheel exams.

The governor’s budget has estimated AB60 will cost $141 million over three years, according to the DMV. The majority of costs cover new agency staff.

The state expects to process as many as 1.4 million applications for the new licenses over the next three years. The state’s Motor Vehicle Account, which receives money from DMV license fees and other charges, will be used to pay for the program, the agency has said.

Wait times ballooned at DMV offices across the state after the program started in January, attributed by the agency to a larger-than-expected surge in applicants.

The average wait time in January for walk-in customers was 90 minutes statewide, according to the DMV. It was down to 60 minutes in February.

Altogether in the first six months of 2015, the DMV issued 759,000 original driver licenses. That includes approximately 397,000 for applicants through the new program, according to DMV figures.

The distribution of licenses is on pace to surpass the number of original licenses issued in recent years. Those figures are as follows: 902,028 in 2014; 863,196 in 2013; and 803,567 in 2012.

The state says there are more than 25 million current driver licenses issued in California.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chris@calwatchdog.com or on Twitter @ChrisTheJourno

AB 60 by Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, will grant drivers licenses to everyone who can pass the tests required by the Department of Motor Vehicles, regardless of their immigration status.

The DMV-issued driver's license will have an identifying mark on the card so it cannot be used for voter identification.

And that identifying mark is the sticking point.

Many immigrant groups and labor unions opposed AB 60, but there was nothing in the media about this opposition.

“AB 60 will have a recognizable mark on the front of the license, and the back will read: 'this card in not acceptable for federal purposes; it is acceptable for driving purposes only,” a joint memo from 10 labor unions said. The California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, SEIU, Asian Americans For Civil Rights and Equality, ACLU, California Nurses Association, Mexican American Legal Defense and Legal Fund,  California Teamsters Public Affairs Council, California Professional Firefighters, and The United Farm Workers signed the opposition memo.

The labor unions objected to the identifying mark on the ID, because it would “single out undocumented members of the community.”

The unions are right.

The identification card will also end up requiring drivers to carry auto insurance, in a de-facto way.

Once this information gets out, I don't think there will be any great rush by undocumented immigrants to get a card which clearly identifies them as in the country illegally.

Advocates for immigrant groups have pushed for the driver's license and insisted it is necessary so immigrants in the country illegally can drive without the constant fear of being pulled over for a traffic violation, and end up getting deported.

This may be, but the insurance requirement could be a problem when immigrants are pulled over for a traffic violation.

Alejo released this statement:

“I am proud to have authored a historic measure for the state of California. I want to commend the Governor for understanding the reality faced by 1.4 million unlicensed drivers who have waited for nearly two decades to have an opportunity to drive to work without fear,” Alejo said. “With AB 60 we are recognizing the needs of many hard-working immigrants living here and contributing so much to our great state. Immigrants who drive legally are more likely to work, spend and contribute to the economy. And those with driver's licenses will have more job opportunities available to them, which will boost businesses in the state.”

During committee hearings on AB 60, Alejo testified how so many illegal immigrants are forced to drive cheap cars because of the constant threat of being impounded by the police.

“This bill will enable millions of people to get to work safely and legally,” Gov. Brown said in a statement in September, after the Legislature passed AB 60. “Hopefully, it will send a message to Washington that immigration reform is long past due.”

This is an issue in which Gov. Brown and I can agree, but we may not agree on how.

By Katy Grimes

SACRAMENTO — Driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants is back on the table and making its way through the Capitol once again. But this latest bill asserts a licensed driver is a safer driver, based on a new California Department of Motor Vehicles study.

The study, “Fatal Crash Rates for Suspended/Revoked and Unlicensed Drivers,” found that, compared to licensed drivers, suspended or revoked and unlicensed drivers are nearly three times more likely to cause a fatal crash.

Supporters of issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants have jumped on this report as evidence of the need.

The California Safe and Responsible Driver Act, Assembly Bill 60, would authorize issuance of a California driver’s license to all illegal immigrants residing in the state, as long as they can show proof identification.

AB 60, in the Assembly Transportation Committee Monday, by Salinas Democrat Luis Alejo, is one of the many attempts over the past decade to authorize illegal immigrants with driver’s licenses. AB 60 follows a newly passed law from 2012, AB 2189, which granted California driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants who came to California as children.

But not just anyone can walk into the DMV and obtain a California driver’s license. AB 60 would only authorize DMV-issued driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants as long as applicants provide several forms of documentation to establish proof of identity, including:

* A valid consular identification

* Original birth certificate

* A residential utility bill or lease agreement, OR

* Other proof of Califiornia residence; AND

* Marriage certificate

* Foreign ID card

* Official school or college transcript

* Property deed or title document

* Property tax bill

* Income tax return, OR

* “Other proof of California residence as designated by the DMV.”

A licensed driver is a safer driver

Alejo said AB 60 would reduce fatal crashes and improve public safety. “Drivers able to get licenses and eventually insurance lead to safer roads,” Alejo said. “We’re the state with the largest immigrant population. Many of those are undocumented in critical industries that couldn’t go without the work they do. Whether it be the agricultural industry, the restaurants, the hotels, they are already here. They are already working. It would allow them to learn the laws, traffic laws, allow them to get insurance while driving on the road, and it would make our roads much safer.”

But opponents say handing out driver’s licenses opens a can of worms in state and national security, and should be left to the federal government.

Dan Rosenberg, a citizen and the only opponent to speak at the hearing Monday, said AB 60 may have lots of support, but no one has provided evidence whatsoever to support the safer roads claim.

Rosenberg told the story of his son being killed by an unlicensed, illegal immigrant in San Francisco. “The District Attorney screwed up every aspect of the case,” Rosenberg said.  His son’s death led him to research the statistics on unlicensed drivers and immigrants, and road safety. “This is not a debate about immigration, but about public safety. Licensing them would not make crashes fewer, or hit and runs less. There are bad drivers with licenses and bad without.”

Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, interrupted Rosenberg several times, admonishing him to address the merits of the bill.

“It sounds like you don’t want to hear the evidence,” Rosenberg replied.

Rosenberg offered research from New Mexico, which found traffic fatalities rose after passing legislation to authorize illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.

 Licensing history

All immigrants, legal or not, could get driver’s licenses in California until 1993, when legislation required all applicants to present a valid Social Security number to obtain one.

AB 60 is similar to bills authored by former Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, to give illegal immigrants the legal right to drive in California. Cedillo tried unsuccessfully seven or eight times to get his bill passed, but not without a fight. Cedillo’s bill was passed by the Legislature three times, but vetoed twice by then-Gov. Gray Davis.

Davis finally signed one of Cedillo’s bills in 2003, and it became an issue during his historic recall election. Davis was hammered on the issue by candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was elected to replace Davis. The Legislature then signed a repeal of the bill, and Schwarzenegger signed it into law.

Emotional or practical issue?

The hearing for AB 60 was long and full of emotion as many Latinos showed up from all over the state to testify in support of AB 60.

Lowenthal, the committee chairwoman, asked supporters to only provide their names, affiliations, and state if they support the bill. But there were many stories and short speeches given, some of which included an interpreter.

Supportive of a pathway to citizenship, PICO California, the largest community-organizing network in the state, had a large presence at the hearing, clearly having organized many of the supporters present.

But several legislators say this is an issue for the federal government, and not individual states.

In a statement, Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, opposed the bill. “The Democrats can pass AB 60 on their own because they have overwhelming control of both houses of the state Legislature,” she said, according to a KGET report. “But, I don’t think the 50 individual states should be writing piecemeal immigration laws — this is something Congress needs to handle at the federal level. And, while there are some practical reasons that it makes sense to test and license any driver on our roads, how does a state government provide a document to drive legally, if the person came here illegally?”

Assemblyman Jeff Gorell, R-Camarillo, has been critical of piecemeal legislation, including AB 60, the Sacramento Bee reported. “The unintended consequences of these bills is to separate my constituents into categories and classes, promote cultural divide, and create legal tension between state and federal laws.”

The bill easily passed the Transportation Committee, 12-1.