A new piece of legislation introduced by a Democrat in Connecticut would amend the state’s constitution to allow non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, to vote in municipal and state elections.
The bill was introduced by state Rep. Juan Candelaria, who told local outlet the Hartford Courant that if the bill does not pass, it will open up a debate about giving illegal immigrants the right to vote.
"When we talk about undocumented individuals, they are part of our fabric of this nation and of the state,” he said, adding that he wants to “have the dialogue” and debate the subject.
Connecticut’s Republican House leader Rep. Vincent Candelora called the legislation “completely outrageous” and said it should not make it to the stage of a public hearing.
"I think that the fact that we have open borders and now we are potentially opening up elections to non-citizens completely erodes our sovereignty in this country and in our state," he said.
According to WTNH, there are currently over 240,000 “non-citizen immigrants” living in Connecticut.
Last week, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that the state’s capitol, Montpelier, can allow non-citizens to vote in local elections. The court ruled that it does not violate the Vermont Constitution, which restricts non-citizens from voting in state elections.
Local outlet VTDigger noted that Montpelier City Council President Jack McCullough said that the initiative began when town residents claimed that it was “not fair” that some non-citizens who paid taxes and participated in the community “were not allowed to vote on on the local elections and the local issues that affected their lives.”
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In September, Townhall reported that the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office certified the required amount of signatures needed for a ballot initiative to repeal a state law that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. According to WGBH, state voters voted against repealing the law allowing illegal immigrants to get a driver’s license.
Under the new law, illegal immigrants in the country will be able to apply for a driver’s license if they provide the Registry of Motor Vehicles with a foreign passport or consular identification document.
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