Driver’s license bill opponents draw comparisons between future state lawmaker and Nazis

PHOENIX — A newly elected Arizona lawmaker is being heavily criticized for his plans to draft legislation to add a “non-citizen” designation on driver’s licenses issued to young immigrants participating in a federal program enabling them to avoid deportation.

Republican Rep.-elect Jay Lawrence said he wants to protect the integrity of the voting system.

Meanwhile, Democratic state Rep. Catherine Miranda says Lawrence’s proposal spells trouble for Arizona in the wake of past controversy over a 2010 immigration-enforcement law.

She was present at a democratic news conference on Friday where opponents likened Lawrence’s idea to something that was seen in Nazi Germany starting in 1938.

“We’ve seen the likes of Jay Lawrence before, wearing a Nazi uniform,” said pro-immigrant advocate Lou Lerner, who is Jewish. “How is this any different that when the Nazis asked the German Jews to wear yellow armbands as they made passage in public? Isn’t that what driving is? Making passage in public?”

The press secretary for Arizona House Republicans, Stephanie Grisham, says Republicans find Lerner’s reference to Nazi’s distasteful. She says Lawrence is of Jewish descent.

Opponents say the bill would bring negative publicity to Arizona just in time for the Super Bowl. They called on Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill to use his influence to stop the legislation. They claim national reaction to the bill would be similar to that of SB-1070, and could cause companies to pull their operations out of Arizona.

One opponent says Lawrence has already proven that his bill isn’t necessary. Somos Independents Founder DeeDee Garcia Blase says she’s been exchanging personal messages with Lawrence on Facebook.

“He claims that there is already an identifier for the immigrants (on driver’s licenses),” said Blase. “If that’s the case, I don’t understand why there needs to be another one.”

Arizona Republican House Majority Leader-elect Steve Montenegro issued a statement today, saying the Democrats’ press conference “was a publicity stunt that serves no purpose other than to divide lawmakers and the public.”

Montenegro later said in the statement that the press conference seemed “more like political grandstanding than true concern for the people of Arizona.”

Meanwhile, Grisham complimented Lawrence.

“Representative-elect Lawrence is doing what a good lawmaker should,” she said. “He is responding to his constituents by researching an issue, learning the process of drafting a bill, and reaching out to members of both parties for input.”

She said that that it’s too early to even argue about the proposed legislation because the bill has not been drafted or introduced.

“This is a fact finding mission,” said Grisham. “This isn’t a bill. It’s not a bill until it’s drafted as a bill. We don’t even know if that’s going to happen. We’re honestly having fights already over nothing.”

Lawrence did not respond to KTAR’s request for an interview.

Arizona was one of the last states to issue licenses to young immigrants brought into the U.S. illegally as children but allowed to remain under a 2012 Barack Obama administration program.

Republican Gov. Jan Brewer waged a lengthy legal battle to restrict licenses, but a court ruling cleared the way for participating immigrants to begin applying for licenses on Dec. 23.

Martha Maurer and the Associated Press contributed to this report

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