HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

 

 

April 06, 2005 Hearing Room C

1:45 P.M.  Tapes 39 - 40

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:            Rep. George Gilman, Chair

Rep. Terry Beyer, Vice-Chair

Rep. Chuck Burley, Vice-Chair

Rep. Deborah Boone

Rep. Scott Bruun

Rep. Dave Hunt

Rep. Kim Thatcher

 

STAFF PRESENT:                  John Houser, Committee Administrator

Mike Reiley, Committee Assistant

 

MEASURES/ISSUES HEARD:

                                                HB 2611 – Public Hearing

                                                HB 2947 – Public Hearing

 

 

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 39, A
003	Chair Gilman	Calls the meeting to order at 1:47 p.m. Opens a public hearing on HB 2611 and HB 2947.
HB 2611, HB 2947 – PUBLIC HEARING
010	Jim Ludwick	Submits and summarizes prepared information in support of HB 2947 (EXHIBIT A). Explains the process implemented by Idaho that verifies social security numbers which would be a more appropriate way to verify identity.
151	Pedro Sosa	Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2611 and HB 2947 (EXHIBIT B).
181	Alice Perry	American Friends Service Committee. Testifies in opposition to HB 2611 and HB 2947. Explains the difficulty in coordinating the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and Department of Homeland Security. Testifies that anti-immigrant legislation has been passed since the 1700s and cites the Alien and Sedition Acts.
237	Chair Gilman	Asks about drivers who cannot prove they are here legally.
241	Perry	Answers that driver licenses are for safety.
260	Rep. Hunt	Asks Mr. Sosa for an explanation of the citizenship process.
270	Sosa	Answers that he is seeking political asylum.
274	Rep. Hunt	Asks how long the process will take.
276	Sosa	Answers that he is unsure, but in the past it has taken 10 years.
284	Rep. Bruun	Asks Mr. Sosa where he is from.
286	Sosa	Answers Guatemala.
288	Rep. Bruun	Asks if he has received a temporary status.
294	Sosa	Answers yes.
300	Rep. Bruun	Asks Sosa why he chose to come to America.
302	Sosa	Answers because of the freedom and liberty.
306	Rep. Bruun	Explains that the United States is a nation of laws.
324	Ruth Bendl	Citizen, Portland, Oregon. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of HB 2947 (EXHIBIT C). Reiterates the importance of following laws. Testifies that she would like to see a person’s citizenship status on a driver license and should be under Department of Transportation.
390	Rep. Boone	Discusses her experience driving with a United States driver’s license in Europe. Asks if Oregon recognizes international driver’s licenses.
405	Lorna Youngs	Administrator, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Explains the procedures for verifying identification.
TAPE 40, A
010	Rep. Boone	Asks about international students using their driver’s license while attending an Oregon school.
014	Youngs	Answers that she will return information to the committee.
023	Elizabeth Van Staaveren	Citizen, McMinnville, Oregon. Submits and reads prepared testimony in support to HB 2947 (EXHIBIT D).
100	Peter Dane	Citizen, Salem, Oregon. Submits and reads prepared testimony and information in support of HB 2947 (EXHIBIT E).
165	Ramon Ramirez	President, Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United (PCUN). Submits and summarizes prepared testimony and information in opposition to HB 2611 and HB 2947 (EXHIBIT F). Argues that the real problem is immigration reform.
355	Rep. Thatcher	Addresses the newspaper article in EXHIBIT F and argues that it is not racist, and if HB 2947 was in effect, he could not have had 20 licenses.
375	Ramirez	States why he would be open to implementing a system similar to the State of Washington. Notes that Nevada does recognize Oregon Driver’s licenses.
402	Rep. Thatcher	Clarifies that Nevada’s DMV will not accept Oregon drivers license as a form of identification.
405	Ramirez	States that he misunderstood her original statement.
410	Rep. Boone	Asks about documents from Mexican consulate.
414	Ramirez	Answers that a green card is the only document that can be verified by DMV.
TAPE 39, B
012	Rep. Boone	Asks about other documents accepted by DMV.
019	Youngs	Provides definition of the term “verification.” Explains the necessary systems to verify documents.
042	Rep. Boone	Asks Ramirez what he would propose to verify identification if HB 2947 did not pass.
045	Ramirez	Answers that he would favor the current system.
073	Rep. Hunt	Asks if Youngs arrived at the same conclusion with the Latino Task Force.
078	Youngs	Answers that DMV is doing as well as possible with a manual verification system.
091	Rep. Donna Nelson	House District 24. Testifies in support of HB 2611 and HB 2947. Explains the security and protection concerns. Notes that 40 other states have adopted similar legislation. Testifies that it would not be overly burdensome to implement a verification system.
200	Chair Gilman	Notes that another hearing will not be held until amendments are drafted. Closes the public hearing on HB 2611 and HB 2947.
205	John Houser	Committee Administrator. Discusses the committee meeting to be held in Bend, Oregon on April 8, 2005.
The following material is submitted for the record without public testimony:
	Jim Elvin	Citizen, Salem, Oregon. Submits prepared testimony in support of HB 2947 (EXHIBIT G).
220	Chair Gilman	Adjourns the meeting at 2:59 p.m.

 

 

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

 

1. HB 2947, prepared information, Jim Ludwick, 6 pp
2. HB 2611, HB 2947, prepared testimony, Pedro Sosa, 1 p
3. HB 2947, prepared testimony, Ruth Bendl, 1 p
4. HB 2947, prepared testimony, Elizabeth Van Staaveren, 3 pp
5. HB 2947, prepared testimony, Peter Dane, 2 pp
6. HB 2611, HB 2947, prepared testimony and information, Ramon Ramirez, 32 pp
7. HB 2947, prepared testimony, Jim Elvin, 1 p