Ortt, Jastrzemski Raise Concerns With Implementation of Green Light Law

Today, Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I,Ref-North Tonawanda) was joined by Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski in calling attention to the impending implementation of New York’s “Green Light” law, which will grant driver’s licenses to illegal aliens residing within the state.

“This legislation will be implemented while questions of legality, public safety, and cost remain,” said Ortt. “This is just another unfunded mandate pushed upon localities in New York. With an estimated 882,000 individuals over the age of 16 living in New York without legal status the cost of processing hundreds of thousands of new license applications will be a massive amount of money that local governments will now be responsible for covering. Polls show that this legislation is massively unpopular with law enforcement, county clerks, and residents, with 61 percent of New Yorkers opposing it. There is no reason that Democrats should have passed this bill other than to appease political interest groups.” 

Earlier this week, officials at the New York State DMV issued an alert reminding individuals that social security numbers are not required to obtain a green light license and outlined what documents for this license would be acceptable including items such as a foreign driver’s license or foreign birth certificate.

“The law and the pending litigation surrounding it puts us as county clerks in the difficult position between obeying this law or following national immigration policy,” added Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski.

On Thursday, Niagara County’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new state law was heard by the New York State Supreme Court in Niagara Falls. This legislation is set to go into effect Monday, December 16.

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