OTOC leaders were greatly cheered that the Nebraska Unicameral was able to clear last minute efforts to filibuster LB 623 which grants Dreamers who have been granted a temporary federal status the opportunity to apply for a Driver’s license in Nebraska. According to Kathleen Grant, OTOC Immigration Action Team Chair, “It is high time that the State of Nebraska afford these young people the opportunity to legally drive to their work, school and home. They are part of the bright future of our state and by not allowing them to drive in our state, we are driving them away from our state.
Grant, Gaspar Gaspar and other leaders of the OTOC Action Team asked 9 candidates for the Unicameral to support this change in law at an OTOC Acountability Session attended by 300 people back on October, 6, 2014. OTOC leaders also met with Governor Ricketts on March 31 to ask that he support this change in state law.
Gaspar Gaspar told the story of how lack of a drivers’ license was blocking him from being promoted at work
OTOC leaders met with Gov. Ricketts to encourage him to support this change in the state law
“Senators voted 37-8 to overturn a policy started three years ago by former Gov. Dave Heineman that eventually left Nebraska as the only state to ban driver’s licenses to a special category of young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. The bill now advances to the second of three rounds of consideration.”
Supporters of Legislative Bill 623 had to wait out eight hours of debate before 39 of them voted to cut off a filibuster.
Paul Gadzikowski
