The funding, excluded from a budget agreement released by the Assembly and Senate, would have helped connect California to a national system used by states to check whether a person holds more than one driver’s license or state identification card. The DMV had planned to begin responding to other states’ requests for information on California drivers early next year.

At issue is the State-to-State system and its SPEX platform, operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, a nonprofit organization made up of motor vehicle officials from across the country. The system is intended to help states detect duplicate licenses and identification cards.

Immigrant-rights advocates say the proposal could expose sensitive information about more than 1 million California license holders who are not federally authorized to live in the country. California has allowed residents to obtain driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status since 2014 under Assembly Bill 60.

Opponents are particularly concerned that the system records the last five digits of a driver’s Social Security number and uses a placeholder, such as “99999,” for people who do not have one. They argue that such markers could make it easier to identify drivers without Social Security numbers.

Advocates fear that if the information becomes available through the multi-state system, it could eventually reach U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Border Patrol and be used in deportation efforts. DMV officials and the governor’s office have said the data-sharing plan is necessary to comply with the federal Real ID Act of 2005, which sets standards for state identification used at federal facilities, including airports.

In response to the Legislature’s budget move, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security urged people without federal authorization to live in the United States to leave the country.

The state Senate’s budget proposal, released Tuesday, did not include funding for the DMV’s interstate verification program. Lawmakers face a June 15 constitutional deadline to pass a budget, but negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom can continue through June 30.

Leaving the $55 million out of the budget does not necessarily kill the DMV plan. The funding could still be restored during negotiations between legislative leaders and the governor’s office, or revived later through a budget trailer bill or another spending measure.

Still, advocates say the decision makes it less likely that the DMV will receive the money by July 1, the date the department had set for beginning data sharing. Jessie Schmitte, state policy manager for Alliance San Diego, a human rights community organization that has been monitoring the proposal, said the issue drew broad concern once more groups learned about it.

Nearly 200 organizations signed a coalition letter opposing the DMV’s data-sharing plan. The proposal also prompted protests earlier this month at a DMV office in San Francisco.

“Many organizations were unaware these conversations were happening until reporting brought the issue to light,” Schmitte said. “If they were serious about protecting Californians and strengthening privacy, they would not be avoiding these conversations.”

The DMV also faces a legal hurdle beyond funding. California law generally bars the department from sharing Social Security numbers collected during the licensing process for most purposes. That means additional legislation would be needed before the state could provide that information to the national nonprofit, a requirement the DMV noted in its own budget request.

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators says its database is designed to prevent people from holding licenses or identification cards in multiple states at the same time. The association has said the database cannot be searched in bulk and requires specific information, such as a name and date of birth.

Privacy and immigrant-rights advocates remain worried that local officials in other states could use information from the database to flag suspected undocumented immigrants and pass that information to federal authorities.

A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said discussions over DMV funding are continuing. Staff for two other lawmakers did not respond to requests for information about the negotiations.

Newsom’s office referred questions to the Department of Finance. Department spokesperson HD Palmer said discussions “have been underway and continue.”

Andrea Guerrero, founding executive director of Alliance San Diego, said it appears unlikely that the concerns can be resolved before the DMV’s target date.

“It is hard to imagine what kinds of changes could be made when we are standing at the end of the plank,” Guerrero said.

Ed Hasbrouck, a civil liberties advocate with The Identity Project, attended the San Francisco protests and took part in an April call with the governor’s office and the DMV about the data-sharing plan. He said he was encouraged that lawmakers delayed the funding, but warned that once California driver data enters a multi-state database, safeguards will be difficult or impossible to enforce.

Hasbrouck said the state ultimately must choose between maintaining the privacy assurances tied to AB 60 licenses and complying with the Real ID Act in the way the DMV has proposed.

“It has been put off, but it is a decision the state is going to have to make,” he said. “It cannot simply avoid it.”

Original source: CalMatters

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The funding, sought by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, was left out of a budget agreement released Thursday night by the Assembly and Senate. The money would allow the DMV to connect with the State-to-State system and its SPEX platform, a nationwide database operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

The system is designed to help states determine whether a driver already holds a license or identification card elsewhere. California officials say participation is necessary to comply with the federal Real ID Act of 2005, which sets standards for identification accepted at airports and other federal facilities.

But immigrant rights advocates and some lawmakers are alarmed by the type of information that would be shared. The system includes the last five digits of a driver’s Social Security number. For drivers without one, it uses a placeholder, such as “99999,” which opponents say could make it easy to identify people who do not have Social Security numbers.

California has allowed residents to obtain standard driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status since 2015 under Assembly Bill 60, a 2014 law. More than 1 million immigrant license holders in California do not have federal authorization to live in the United States, according to prior reporting cited by advocates.

Those advocates fear that once California driver information is entered into the national system, officials in other states could pass along details about suspected undocumented immigrants to federal agencies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the Border Patrol.

In response to questions about the Legislature’s budget proposal, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson urged people living in the country without lawful status to leave the United States.

The Senate released its own budget plan Tuesday evening without the DMV funding. Lawmakers face a June 15 deadline to approve a state budget, though negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom can continue through June 30 on budget-related details.

Excluding the $55 million does not permanently block the DMV’s plan. The governor and Legislature could restore the money during negotiations, or lawmakers could approve it later through a follow-up budget bill. But advocates say the delay could prevent the DMV from receiving the funds by July 1, when the department had planned to begin sending data.

Jessie Schmitte, a state policy manager with Alliance San Diego, said the proposal drew widespread attention only after media coverage earlier this year. Alliance San Diego, a human rights organization, has been monitoring the issue and helped organize opposition to the plan. Nearly 200 organizations signed a coalition letter opposing the DMV data-sharing proposal, and demonstrators protested at a San Francisco DMV office earlier this month.

“A lot of organizations weren’t aware of these conversations until, thankfully, the CalMatters article came out and brought air into this conversation for everybody who has not had a seat at the table,” Schmitte said. “If you were really serious about protecting Californians and doubling down on privacy concerns, you wouldn’t be running away from these conversations.”

The DMV also faces a legal hurdle beyond the budget. State law generally bars the department from sharing Social Security numbers collected through the licensing process. The DMV’s own budget request noted that additional legislation would be needed before California could provide that information to the national association.

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, whose board is made up of motor vehicle officials from across the country, has said its database cannot be searched broadly and requires specific information, such as a person’s name and date of birth.

A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said discussions over the DMV funding are continuing. Staff for two other lawmakers did not respond to requests for information about the negotiations.

Newsom’s office referred questions to the Department of Finance. H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the department, said talks “have been underway and are continuing.”

Andrea Guerrero, founding executive director of Alliance San Diego, said the state is running out of time to reach a satisfactory compromise before the DMV’s planned launch date.

“It’s hard to imagine what kind of change could be made while we’re standing at the end of a plank,” Guerrero said.

Original source: CalMatters

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Enforcement for the REAL ID while traveling begins on May 7.

As reports surfaced of long lines winding out of DMV offices across the state, many locations don’t have appointments available until weeks after the deadline, according to the DMV website.

The REAL ID Act of 2005 says travelers in the Golden State and nationwide will need an updated driver’s license, ID card, or provide other documentation before they can board domestic flights, enter nuclear power plants, or access certain federal buildings.

The federal government extended the implementation of the date several times before (the original deadline was 2008). But it appears that it will firmly take effect next month.

“If you have plans to travel after May 7, upgrade to a REAL ID before the enforcement deadline,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon.

However, Gordon says those who possess a valid passport may use that place of the REAL ID until it is time to renew their driver’s license.

This month, the Transportation Security Administration told CBS News that they are seeing around 81 percent compliance at checkpoints — but this only means that people are either showing up with a REAL ID or a passport.

As of January, a little over half of Americans had REAL ID-compliant cards, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

A spokesperson told CBS that there will be a “phased approach” to enforcement but “people may experience travel delays.”

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A conviction for driving under the influence or DUI carries several penalties in all states and Washington. D.C. On top of hefty fines, possible jail time, suspension of driving privileges, and probation, DUI offenders are often required to attend alcohol education classes, commonly referred to as DUI school.

DUI classes—which are typically a condition of probation—are designed to, among other things, teach offenders about the dangers of driving under the influence.

They also focus on spreading awareness about the legal and personal consequences that come with a DUI conviction. Those who attend these classes will also have an opportunity to learn how to avoid drinking and driving and prevent another DUI arrest and conviction, which would bring on more severe consequences.

But what if you ignore the order to sign up for DUI classes? What will happen if you sign up for an alcohol education program, but fail to attend the required number of classes?

Whichever of the two you decide to do, you will still have to face certain consequences.

Keep in mind that attending mandatory DUI classes is a condition of your probation. Failing to attend or complete DUI classes constitutes a violation of your probation. Once the judge gets wind of your violation, he or she will probably issue a bench warrant for your arrest. If your original sentence already includes jail time, the likelihood the judge will make it longer is high.

You can also expect your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to extend the suspension period of your driver’s license if you do not take or complete your DUI classes.

Missing DUI classes is simply not worth the trouble, so make sure you attend them. In any case, if your state allows them, you can sign up for an online DUI class. To find out how different they can be from in-person DUI classes, check out the infographic below.

-Lauren Kunis

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DeniAntionette “Deni” Mazingo, candidate for Assembly District 42, has given us an update on a story which she broke exclusively to the HSJ Chronicle some weeks ago.

“I first alerted my constituents before any other candidate, and then I alerted the Chronicle as well,” said Mazingo.   

The DMV’s “Motor Voter” program had been compromised yet again, and it was Ms. Mazingo who brought it to the attention of her constituency first.

Mazingo first alerted her base just prior to the 2020 first annual monthly meeting of The Democrats of Hemet-San Jacinto, on January 5.

The program had a botched implementation despite warnings about potential technology failures. Six ineligible people voted in the June 2018 primary. Two of the six also voted in the general election in November. The DMV reported making 105,000 registration errors in the months following the launch.

“While we recognize that voters are understandably disgusted with a program that has had ongoing problems, we want to assure our constituency that we on the Deni Mazingo team will continue to monitor this problem and demand accountability,” said Mazingo, adding, “We spotted the problem before anyone else and we have been and will continue to be at the forefront of those demanding accountability on this issue,” said Mazingo who was endorsed by California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, and just this week was endorsed by San Bernardino Chicano-Latino Caucus

The Hemet-San Jacinto Chronicle thanks Deni Mazingo without whose help this article would have been impossible.

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More problems with jaundiced “Motor Voter” system

Candidate for 42nd State Assembly District seat, Deni Mazingo has advised the Hemet-San Jacinto Chronicle that yet again, The DMV’s “Motor Voter” program has been compromised. Legal voters are left wondering if the program is incompetent, corrupt, biased…or just wrong-headed. In an era where illegal aliens are being given deriver’s licenses, is it any wonder that honest, legal American voters are questioning this entire concept?

Mazingo alerted those at the 2020 first annual monthly meeting of The Democrats of Hemet-San Jacinto.  

First came the complaints, with headlines like;  “Audit finds problems with California “Motor Voter” Program,” from Associated Press. Then “More than 23,000 Californians were registered to vote incorrectly by state DMV,” by the LA Times in September of 2018, and “Skid Row Voter Fraudsters Preyed on LA Homeless, Authorities Charge” from NBC in November of 2018. That particular case came as national discourse over voter fraud heated up in November of last year when President Trump, had in the past, alleged (and been proven correct) that “millions” of bogus votes were cast in the 2016 presidential election. Trump had said, that there were “forged” ballots and “found” votes during the midterm election in Florida. Then there was the August, 2019 California Globe article titled, “DMV’s Six Degrees Of Separation From The Truth About Voter Fraud In California” which explained that thousands of were “…”inadvertently registered to vote.” Right. Inadvertently.  Some began to question, and continue to question Alex Padilla’s competency as California Secretary of State.

Then came the lawsuits. “California isn’t doing enough to verify citizenship while registering voters, lawsuit says” by Bryan Anderson of the Sacramento Bee, in October, of last year, concerning a lawsuit brought by Harmeet Dhillon In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento, Harmeet Dhillon, of San Fransisco’s Dhillon Law Group alleged that Secretary of State Alex Padilla is violating federal law by not verifying citizenship information from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. Dhillon tried to force the DMV to send Padilla more records related to citizenship to demonstrate that only eligible people are able to register. “We want the secretary of state to do his job, which is to ensure that only eligible voters are placed on the voter rolls,” she said.

That lawsuit challenged the then-year-old program meant to boost voter participation. Motor Voter, which launched in April 2018, automatically registers eligible voters when they visit the DMV. It proved to benefit Democrats during last year’s midterm election, although a high number of applicants are registering with no party preference.

The program had a botched implementation despite warnings about potential technology failures. Six ineligible people voted in the June 2018 primary. Two of the six also voted in the general election in November. The DMV reported making 105,000 registration errors in the months following the launch.

But that was then…this is now, right?

And now? Just a few weeks ago The Sacramento Bee headlined yet another article which backed-up what Mazingo said is, “…a problem which affected both Republican and Democratic voters.” And that’s exactly what Alex Padilla and the DMV are telling us. Janna Haynes, public information officer for Sacramento County Voter Registration & Elections, said, “…there does seem to be a correlation,” between the ongoing problems and the Motor Voter system.

One wonders just how seriously those in Sacramento are taking this blatant, chronic, illegal threat to the right to vote. One wonders indeed.

The Hemet-San Jacinto Chronicle thanks Deni Mazingo without whose help this article would have been impossible.

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