Thank your state senator for voting yes using the Driving Families Forward Coalition link here!

On Thursday, May 5, 2022, the MA Senate joined the House in passing the Work & Family Mobility Act, which would allow any qualified driver—regardless of immigration status—to obtain a driver’s license, by an overwhelming, veto-proof margin of 32 to 8. Five Democrats—Nick Collins (D-South Boston), Anne Gobi (D-Spencer), Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton), Walter Timilty (D-Milton), and John Velis (D-Westfield) joined the three Republicans—Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton), Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth), and Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) in opposing it.

The success of the bill was the testament to the hard work of the Driving Families Forward coalition, led by SEIU 32BJ and the Brazilian Workers Center, and the sponsors Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) and Adam Gomez (D-Springfield).

Sixteen states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico already allow residents the right to apply for driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status, including our neighbors New York, Vermont, and Connecticut. And Massachusetts is poised to be next.

The bill is a win-win all around. It recognizes the essential contributions of our immigrant brothers and sisters, who often depend on a car to get to work, to school, to the hospital, etc. Immigration status shouldn’t be a barrier to getting a license. The bill would help make the roads safer for all, lower insurance rates, bring in more revenue for the state (through license fees), and strengthen our economy.

Thank your senator for voting YES on this historic bill!

Note that several senators who voted YES on the bill unfortunately voted for amendments to weaken it as well: John Keenan (D-Quincy), Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), and Michael Moore (D-Auburn). You can see those votes here.