It was approved by votes of 28-8 in the California Senate and 55-19 in the Assembly.
California Governor Jerry Brown said on Friday he would sign a bill authorizing the state to provide driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, a last-minute reversal of his position.
Brown said he approved of the measure, which its author had withdrawn on Thursday under the threat of a veto, capping a full day of lobbying by California politicians for immigration reform at the federal level.
“This bill will enable millions of people to get to work safely and legally,” Brown, a Democrat, said in an email sent to reporters shortly after midnight. “Hopefully it will send a message to Washington that immigration reform is long past due.”
Over the past year, nine states and the District of Columbia have passed laws enabling undocumented immigrants to drive legally. In California, lawmakers and governors have routinely rebuffed such efforts.
Just on Thursday, Assemblyman Luis Alejo, a Democrat from the agricultural town of Salinas, told Reuters that he was withdrawing the bill he had written until next year, largely because of concerns expressed by Brown.
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