The Transportation Committee did not make a final vote on Thursday, March 12 whether to advance LB 623 which would allow qualifying young immigrants to apply for a drivers license.  Five of the eight members of the Committee must vote for LB 623 for it to advance to the “general file” where the whole Unicameral would debate the bill.

The deadline for Senators to name their “priority bill” was March 12 and Senator John McCollister  (Dt. 20–Southwest Omaha) named LB 623 to be his sole  “priority bill” for the Session. This designation means that  the bill will get a full hearing before the entire Unicameral if  it gets passed out the Transportation Committee.   Please take take a moment to thank Sen. McCollister for using his single opportunity to name a priority bill on LB 623, thereby making it more likely that the Transportation Committee will give it a final vote.

Senator John McCollister

Phone: (402) 471-2622

Email: [email protected]

Dozens of OTOC leaders have been making calls and emails to the the Omaha Area members of the Transportation Committee including:

Sen. Lydia Brasch  (Dt 16–Washington, Burt & Cuming Counties)

Sen. Tommie Garrett (Dt. 3–Bellevue)

Sen. Beau McCoy (Dt.39–West Omaha)

Sen. John Murante (Dt. 49–Gretna)

Sen. Jim Smith (Dt. 14–Papillion)

Background

In August 2012, then Governor Dave Heineman made the decision to deny driver’s licenses to Nebraska’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, although they have a valid Employment Authorization Document and Social Security Number.  And now, Nebraska is the ONLY state denying them licenses.

LB 623  bill would allow about 2,300 young Nebraskans the opportunity to take a written and driving test to obtain a driver’s license, purchase auto insurance and be able to legally drive to their work or school. These young Nebraskans want to help build our state—let’s help them do just that.