Governor Mark Dayton and Republican leaders continue trying to resolve their dispute over REAL ID — legislation which would allow Minnesotans to still use their drivers license to board commercial flights after the first of the year. As part of that, Dayton wants undocumented immigrants to be able to get drivers licenses. Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt says, “It’s on him [Dayton] to advocate for that issue and grow the support here in the legislature to get it passed, but in the meantime we can’t hold up the REAL ID issue. We need to get that passed so that folks can have that peace of mind.”
Dayton said last week he has a “strong preference” for the undocumented immigrant provision and “whether we can achieve that or not in discussion with the legislative leaders, we’ll have to find out.” Daudt says the governor “did go to the Senate caucus last week and asked them to… not vote for the bill unless it included the drivers licenses, so I’m not sure how strongly he’s gonna make a stand here.”
Current rules do *not* allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses in Minnesota, but Dayton wants the Public Safety Department to still have the option to allow it. Republicans want a ban on undocumented immigrant drivers licenses put in state law.
Here’s Bill Werner’s interview with Speaker Daudt. Werner starts out asking Daudt about what the governor has said on the issue: