Sen. Blackburn introduces bill targeting driver licenses for illegal aliens

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has sponsored a bill that would restrict certain federal grants for states that grant driver licenses to illegal immigrants and fail to share information about criminal aliens with the federal government.

“Immigrants must follow the proper federal process and obtain citizenship or lawful status before obtaining a state driver license,” Sen. Blackburn said. “In America, no one is above the law.”

Sen. Blackburn introduced the Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act, S. 3286, with eight Republican cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Steve Daines (R-MT).

U.S. Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) on Feb. 12 introduced companion legislation, the same-named H.R. 5862, in the U.S. House of Representatives with 24 GOP cosponsors.

“Tennesseans know all too well what can happen when illegal immigrants are granted driver licenses,” said Sen. Blackburn, referencing vehicular deaths in her home state caused by illegal aliens who were later deported.

“While Tennessee and many other states prohibit driver licenses for illegal aliens, a growing number of states are moving in the opposite direction and unleashing dangerous open borders policies,” the senator said.

If enacted, the bill would halt certain U.S. Department of Justice grant funding to states that defy federal immigration law, such as funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, which provides yearly support to states for local law enforcement and criminal justice initiatives.

In fiscal year 2019, states that issued driver licenses to illegal immigrants received nearly $53 million from the JAG Program, according to Sen. Blackburn’s office, which noted that the bill would require states that issued driver licenses to illegal aliens, or states that failed to share immigration enforcement information with the Department of Homeland Security, to return unallocated funds to the JAG Program within 30 days.

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Bill To Arm All School Police With Guns Heads To State House

A Ky. House committee has given the green light to a bill that would require all school police officers to carry guns, with the goal of preventing school shootings.

The proposal is an update to a school safety bill that passed last year, which required every school to hire a school resource officer, or SRO. This year’s legislation would mandate every SRO carry a gun.

“I know as a parent when I drop my children off at school I want to make sure that they are going into a safe environment,” bill sponsor Sen. Max Wise (R-Campbellsville) told the House committee Tuesday. “If we are going to say these schools are going to be safe, and you’re having sworn law enforcement officers, they’ve got to be able to do their job if a situation were to get to that potential tragedy.”

All SRO’s are already armed, so most districts would see no changes, according to the Kentucky Center for School Safety.

Rep. Mary Lou Marzian (D-Louisville) voted against the gun requirement. In committee, Marzian pointed to numerous police shootings of unarmed Black men and women across the county.

“I’m really worried about a child in the school reaching for a pencil and an SRO shooting that child by mistake, and I think it’s only a matter of time until that happens,” she said.

The House education committee passed the bill despite those concerns. It goes to the House floor for a final vote.

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