by Nat Rudarakanchana March 12, 2013 vtdigger.org Undocumented migrant farm workers in Vermont could wait another year before they can count on driver’ s licenses, if the key Senate Transportation committee doesn’ t vote out a bill by the end of this week.
Members of Vermont Migrant Justice gather between testimony before a Statehouse study committee on Wednesday. VTD Photo/Nat Rudarakanchana
The Senate Transportation committee hasn’ t taken any testimony on S.38 yet, and hasn’ t scheduled a hearing for later this week.
Committee chair Sen. Dick Mazza, D-Chittenden/Grand Isle, says he hopes to hold a hearing later this week, though he’ s making no promises.
Asked if there’ ll be a vote by the cross-over deadline, Mazza said: ‘ I don’ t know, it depends on what the committee does. We have to gather all the information.’
‘ It’ s a very complex issue’¦I’ m not going to say it’ s going to be easy. It’ s going to be very difficult. We have insurance issues to talk about; what kind of a license it’ ll be; how you’ ll label it’¦It’ s a very sensitive subject,’ said Mazza, who doesn’ t have a position on the bill yet.
‘ I have no feeling one way or the other,’ said Mazza. ‘ I just want to make sure that it’ s doable, and that we’ re doing the right thing.’
Migrant workers Danilo Lopez and Carlos Diaz visited the Statehouse on Tuesday, along with a small lobbying contingent, urging lawmakers and others to help ease passage this session.
‘ Every day that goes by, our community continues to suffer from a lack of access and meeting our fundamental needs,’ Lopez said.
He worries about the looming cross-over deadline this Friday. If bills aren’ t approved by committees of jurisdiction of the House or Senate by that time, they won’ t be taken up this legislative session.
Advocates for the bill have talked with Mazza about a hearing for months, but have received mixed messages. They’ ve been told that a hearing will happen this week, but are confused because it isn’ t on the calendar, and because they haven’ t received final confirmation.
‘ From the conversations that we’ ve held, it seems that is a legislative priority. Yet seeing that it’ s not moving, it’ s hard to see what’ s happening, where the disconnect is’¦The process seems to be stagnant,’ Lopez said.
Migrant Workers Justice, an organization which launched a spirited lobbying campaign last year, plans to descend on the Statehouse on Thursday, holding a press conference and concentrating supporters.
‘ Vermont is ready for this,’ Lopez said via an interpreter, fellow organizer Natalia Fajardo. ‘ We have done all the work that has been asked of us. We have cleared out all the concerns that might have been around it.’
Gov. Peter Shumlin, who’ s backed this legislation publicly, appeared to take a slightly more patient stance.
‘ Our last understanding was that the committee was considering taking it up, and we would like to see that happen,’ said Shumlin’ s spokesperson Sue Allen. ‘ But he also understands that the legislature is dealing with a number of bills heading into cross-over.’
There are at least three bills dealing with this topic, which include S.38, H.289, and H.290. The House bills have seen little action.
Fajardo is uncertain if it’ ll be a straightforward vote on the day S.38 is considered, if it is taken up at all. There’ s been much testimony and attention on the subject, after lobbying efforts last year failed, and a summer study committee in between voting 8-1 to recommend the licenses. http://vtdigger.org/2012/12/13/migrant-worker-drivers-licenses-recommend...
Rutland Senator Peg Flory, who chaired that study group, voted against recommending the licenses. Flory also sits on the Transportation Committee.
Mazza is also trying to juggle budget items and a pending gas tax hike, with a gap in the transportation fund being his primary concern so far. He told VTDigger: ‘ Like I said, we have a two year span [biennium]. It doesn’ t have to be done immediately’¦This is the first year of the session. We got two years. It doesn’ t have to be done this year.’
Shumlin, too, hasn’ t advised Mazza that the legislation has to be out within a specific timeframe. Mazza has told Shumlin the bill will run through the usual committee process: ‘ Nothing will be rushed. And they’ ll have their day.’