DeLaney amendment to equal protection violation struck down

Thursday, Feb. 1, State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) proposed an amendment to House Bill 1162 that would allow people legally living in Indiana under parole status to obtain a driver's license. Last year, the General Assembly passed a policy that would allow parolees to obtain a driver’s license only if they were from Ukraine, not from other countries granted the same status such as Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. HB 1162 seeks to reverse the provision added from last year that allowed Ukrainians to obtain licenses. The amendment failed 31-65. 

“Last year, the General Assembly decided to let Ukrainian nationals here under parole status obtain a driver’s license. However, this bill left out all those here under the same status from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela,” DeLaney said. “The courts have found the law in clear violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. 

“Instead of fixing the problem by affording the right to all parolees, Republicans now want to take the right away from Ukrainians one year after giving it to them. 

“The amendment I proposed would allow all parolees to obtain driver’s licenses. I want to be very clear that we are not talking about people who are in the country illegally. I am referring to those who have complied with the law and are here legally under official status from Ukraine, Haiti, Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela. 

“Republicans have decided that the message they want to send is that Indiana is not welcoming to legal refugees. Withholding driver’s licenses makes it harder to work, harder to pay taxes, harder to get insurance, and makes parolees more likely to depend on charity and welfare to survive.  

“Given the track record of our Attorney General, we will continue to lose in court at great expense.”