A STATEMENT FROM SENATOR SUE SERINO

ALBANY, NY—New York State Senator Sue Serino today released the following statement regarding the passage of the Green Light Bill (S. 1747-B):

“As the daughter of an immigrant, this is an issue I am incredibly sensitive to and I have listened carefully to New Yorkers on both sides of the debate. Supporters of this legislation argue that it is about increasing road safety. However, the County Clerks charged with administering these licenses have made it clear to me that they do not have the resources necessary to effectively verify identities using foreign documents as they would be required to do under this legislation. That should give every New Yorker pause. The system being created under this legislation is ripe for abuse and may inadvertently leave New Yorkers vulnerable to serious security and public safety threats.

I know that there are many in our country today yearning for a way to become a legal citizen, to participate in our processes without fear and to continue to give back to our communities, and I have a great deal of respect for their experiences.

However, as we have seen with nearly every piece of legislation advanced by Albany’s new leaders, this bill is extreme in every way, goes beyond anything any other state is doing on this issue, and puts the rights of lawbreakers ahead of law-abiding citizens. If there is a problem with our immigration policy, we should be advocating for comprehensive change at the federal level, not further incentivizing illegal activity here in our state at the expense of our own legal residents. It is not right, and I would urge the Governor to follow through and veto this bill.”

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