Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

NM renewing fight over immigrant licenses

SANTA FE — As other states move to provide driver's licenses to immigrants unlawfully in the country, New Mexico has renewed a battle over a proposal by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez to stop granting licenses to illegal immigrants.

A House committee on Tuesday shelved the governor's proposal but the issue isn't likely to go away in the Legislature.

The Labor and Human Resources Committee voted 5-4 along party lines to keep the measure bottled up in the panel — a possible way for majority Democrats to try to delay action on the politically thorny issue until the Legislature adjourns in mid-March. The committee's decision also gives Democrats more time to see if there's room for a potential compromise — possibly establishing special driving permits or licenses for illegal immigrants.

The governor's allies still have options, however. They can try to bypass the committee and force a vote by the 70-member House. That's what happened in 2011, and the House ultimately approved the governor's measure although it died in the Senate.

"The public deserves ... no, they demand an up or down vote on this," said Republican Rep. Paul Pacheco, of Albuquerque, who sponsored the measure backed by the governor.

The House has approved a similar bill the past two years with the backing of Republicans and a handful of Democrats, but the measure has stalled in the Senate.

New Mexico and Washington state allow illegal immigrants to obtain the same driver's license as a U.S. citizen, but Utah grants a special driving permit to immigrants that can't be used for identification, such as to board airliners.

House Speaker W. Ken Martinez, a Grants Democrat and committee member, pointed out that more states are making licenses available to at least some illegal immigrants.

Illinois just enacted a law to allow illegal immigrants to receive a temporary driver's license that will last three years.

California started issuing driver's licenses this month to young illegal immigrants who qualify for federal work permits.