Photo: APCalifornia Gov. Jerry Brown speaks at Los Angeles City Hall before signing the AB 60 bill in Los Angeles Thursday, Oct 3, 2013. The bill adds California to the growing list of states allowing immigrants in the country illegally to obtain driver licenses.

n California, the bill authored by Democratic Assemblyman Luis Alejo would grant licenses to anyone who passes written and road tests, regardless of immigration status. State officials estimate 1.4 million drivers will apply for licenses under the law, which was supported by the state's Police Chiefs Association and insurance authorities.

It isn't clear whether entities like local government offices, libraries or banks will accept the license as a form of identification. The licenses are expected to be issued starting in Jan. 2015. It isn't the first time the California legislature passed a measure giving licenses to immigrants in the country illegally. Led by former Democratic state lawmaker and current Los Angeles city councilman Gil Cedillo, the legislature passed license bills that were struck down by Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Under Brown, immigrant advocates saw a new opportunity to get a bill signed. The bill is one of several immigrant-friendly measures passed by the legislature this year, including overtime pay for domestic workers and an effort to scale back collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials.

smael Salvador, a 63-year-old factory worker from El Salvador, turned out to see the bill signing. He said the change will radically alter the lives of his two daughters who are in the country illegally. One risks driving every morning to her job as a lunch truck cook, and the other cleans houses and relies on rides because she is afraid to get behind the wheel.

I'm sorry, it should read illegal immigrant.

pretty sad when elected Officials break the Law of the Land!

Great!
Now all of the illegal immigrants can car pool the rest of their buddies across the boarder!

and drink all the Mountain Dew!

And buy car insurance and not flee from traffic accidents, which is the real reason the law was passed.

Which is cheaper for them, buy car insurance or flee from accidents?

Mortimer, I worry about you.

It's not all about the cheapest way. Many undocumented immigrants aren't poor. It's not cheap to buy and operate a car in California. So, going the next step and buying insurance is sensible, too. Before this law, many of those people simply couldn't get a license and couldn't buy car insurance, no matter how well they could drive or how much money they had. Sure, fleeing an accident is cheaper, but it's also a crime, for which they can get deported.

I'm disappointed by your shallowness of reasoning.