Oregon Panel Passes Immigrant Driver’s License Bill

An Oregon Senate committee has advanced a bill granting four-year driver’s licenses to people who can’t prove they’re legally in the United States.

The Senate Business and Transportation Committee approved the measure Monday on a 4-2 vote.

The bill would allow immigrants who have lived in Oregon for at least a year and meet other requirements to apply for driver’s cards without proving legal presence. The card would be valid for only four years – half as long as a standard Oregon license – and would state “driving privilege only.”

Supporters say it will make Oregon roads safer because there would be fewer untrained and uninsured drivers, but opponents say it could create a culture of crime in the state.

The bill goes to a legislative budget committee.