On Saturday, May 3, South Shore residents will gather at the Mattapoisett Friends Meeting House to discuss the Safe Driving Bill, a bill that would remove immigration status as a barrier to Massachusetts drivers from getting tested, licensed and insured, thereby improving road safety for all Massachusetts residents.
In separate recent online polls conducted by Fox News and by Boston Herald columnist Michael Graham, the bill was favored by at least 70% of voters, and at the Safe Driving Bill hearing before the Joint Committee on Transportation on March 5, testimonies in favor of the bill ran from the Patrick Administration to doctors to numerous longtime Massachusetts residents, who together outnumbered the smattering of opponents by the hundreds.
The bill follows in the wake of eight states that have recently passed similar legislation, including Vermont and Connecticut. States with Safe Driving laws have shown decreases in both unlicensed drivers and fatal accidents, and immigrant advocates and safety experts both point to numerous other reasons for the legislation’s widespread support.
After the hearing, the bill was extended and must receive a favorable report by May 15 by the Joint Transportation Committee, co-chaired by Representative Richard Strauss of Mattapoisett. The meeting is open to the press, and residents can attend by contacting Thalita Dias, tdias@miracoalition.org, or 617-350-5480 ext. 205.