Late Wednesday, the West Central Tribune posted online a letter to the editor by Ken Warner, president of the Willmar Area Chamber of Commerce, Chamber supports immigration bill.
The letter shares the local chamber's support of HF1500, authored by Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, DFL-St. Louis Park, The bill is nicknamed "Drivers Licenses for All" by those supporting the legislation, which would give unauthorized immigrants access to Minnesota driver's licenses.
To understand how the licenses would work, check out Driver’s Licenses For All: Quick Facts, posted by the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM).
In the letter, Warner writes:
Minnesota businesses value the contributions of immigrants to our state. Their roles as workers, entrepreneurs and consumers are important to the development and growth of our economy and our communities.
We support H.F. 1500 for workforce and public safety reasons.
Our labor participation rate is second highest nationally. Demographics indicate that as our population continues to age and our economy grows, Minnesota will not have the numbers of people needed to meet labor market needs.
In the next few years, our population will include more individuals over the age of 65 than school-age kids 5-17 years old. Additionally, over the past 17 years, Minnesota has lost population to other states. Immigrants are a key to this challenge.
Minnesota employers rely on immigrant workers to serve their customers. To do this safely, workers should complete driver's license training, testing and licensing requirements, including securing insurance.
We believe this will make roads safer for all drivers. It's ironic people who live among us and driving illegally can be dangerous for our safety, therefore we need to support a policy that can mitigate our safety.
We support comprehensive federal immigration reform. As we wait for solutions on the federal level, the state also has a role in dealing with state-specific issues on this matter.
This legislation addresses a state-based concern and a state employment and public safety need.
Willmar Radio's J.P. Cola reports Willmar chamber endorses bill allowing licenses for undocumented immigrants:
The Willmar Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce is in favor of a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a Minnesota driver's license. House File 1500, authored by House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley, would create a “noncompliant license” that could be obtained by providing any of a number of documents that range from an application for asylum to a recent “home utility services hook-up work order.” Willmar Chamber President Ken Warner says the bill is supported by the state chamber, and the state group asked individual chambers with high immigrant populations to express their support, and Warner says the Willmar board agreed it would be appropriate to send a letter to the editor of the Willmar paper to that effect. Warner says they see it as a safety issue and a workforce issue . . .
Two area lawmakers oppose HF 1500. Last month Senator Andrew Lang of Olivia said people need to follow the law...
Representative Tim Miller of Prinsburg said if successful, it will put police in the untenable position of having to look the other way when they come across illegals. Representative Dave Baker says he supports House File 1500 but says the provisional licenses must be very different in appearance from regular licenses, and they should be renewed every year. Baker says the immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed, but says "driving safe is something we can do to keep people working and paying taxes in Minnesota."
Listen to their statements at the station. Support for the Chamber's position comes natural to Baker. Before being elected to the Minnesota House in 2014, Baker was active in both the local and state chambers. West Central Tribune staffer Carolyn Lange reported in 2013 in Businessman Dave Baker steps up to leadership role with Minnesota Chamber of Commerce:
Dave Baker will use his 12 years of experience as a small business owner to be the voice of the state’s largest business advocacy organization when he takes over as chairman of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Board next year.
Baker, who owns and operates the Oaks at Eagle Creek, the Super 8 Motel in Willmar and Green Lake Cruises with his wife, Mary, was recently named the chairman-elect of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. He will assume the lead role in September.
Baker said efforts to improve the family businesses, as well as his time serving on the state Chamber board and being involved with local organizations that support and educate people affected by drug addictions, is part of helping to make Minnesota a good place for the community’s children and grandchildren to live.
Baker said his business story and desire to make positive changes in the state is replicated by the entire 40-member Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors that he’ll be working closely with in the next couple years.
Baker's work with "local organizations that support and educate people affected by drug addictions" stemmed from his son's death from an overdose. That tragic circumstance has also fueled Baker's legislative agenda,MPR's Jon Collins reported last year in Son's overdose death drives this Minnesota legislator's work. The Willmar lawmaker was an active co-author of the opioid accountability bill that passed 94-34 in the Minnesota House on Monday.
HF1500 has been heard in four committees/subcommittees and divisions and was given a second reading in the House on March 18.
Twelves states and the District of Columbia offer drivers licenses to unauthorized immigrants, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. Before 2003, Minnesota licenses unauthorized immigrants, ILCM notes in Freedom to Drive MN Launches 2019 Driver’s Licenses for All Campaign:
Prior to 2003, all Minnesotans who could pass the driving and written tests could obtain a driver’s license. The prohibition on licenses for unauthorized immigrants was imposed by then-Governor Pawlenty in 2003. Minnesota lawmakers have the power to reverse the 2003 decision, remove the ban, and support families and communities. In fact, lawmakers in at least 12 other states have already taken action to end the prohibition on undocumented immigrants obtaining licenses.
An estimated 95,000 undocumented immigrants live in Minnesota. More than half have lived in the United States for more than a decade. Some 10,000 have lived here for more than 20 years. Among adults, 72 percent are working and 33 percent own their own homes. Many are essential workers in health care, agriculture, and other fields.
Photo: Lawmakers, clergy, law enforcement and others rallied at the state capital in February to support HF1500, CBS's Esme Murphy reported in Hundreds Gather At Capitol To Support Driver’s Licenses For All.
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