Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Three bills related to keeping illegal aliens off Tennessee roadways were heard by the House Transportation Subcommittee on Tuesday, Feb. 17, with two of the three progressing and one being deferred to a new date.
First on the subcommittee’s agenda was HB1706, sponsored by Rep. Jason Zachary, which would prohibit illegal aliens from operating a commercial motor vehicle in Tennessee and requires law enforcement arresting such individuals to notify immigration authorities.
It also modifies state law to say that no employer may allow any employee to operate a commercial vehicle in the U.S. if the employee is an illegal alien and creates a Class A misdemeanor for a person knowingly allowing an illegal alien to operate a commercial vehicle in the state.
Additionally, the bill creates civil liabilities for accidents caused by illegal aliens, crafting accountability for employers who knowingly allow illegal on the road and state employees who knowingly issue commercial driver licenses to illegal aliens.
During the Transportation Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, Rep. Zachary referred to the 2025 Immigration Report published by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference earlier this year which detailed the number and types of crimes committed by illegal aliens in the state last year.
He stated the “egregious” numbers emphasized lawmakers’ responsibility “to protect Tennesseans, protect our highways, to preserve taxpayer resources for Tennesseans, and ensure that we’re stewarding taxpayer dollars well.”
Zachary noted that current Tennessee code is not crystal clear in acknowledging that it is illegal to be an illegal with a CDL, so the legislation would definitively correct that vagueness. He also clarified that an amendment to the bill would make certain employers who use E-Verify to check citizenship status for employees are not held liable if an illegal somehow makes it through the E-Verify system.
Democrat Rep. Aftyn Behn argued the bill would create “private, bounty-style immigration enforcement mechanisms” and is targeting people who “meet federal safety standards” and passed the CDL exams explicitly because of immigration status, not their road safety status.
This argument did not appear to resonate with other committee members as the body went on to vote 8-1 in favor of passage with the only “No” vote coming from Behn.
The second bill, HB1708, sponsored by Rep. Kip Capley, requires an individual who applies for a driver license be able to speak and read English “sufficiently”. Should an applicant fail to meet this standard and need to take the test in another language, they would be issued a restricted license valid only for one year and be mandated to re-take the written exam in English without assistance before being issued an unrestricted license.
Under the legislation, applicants for vehicle registry would also be required to provide evidence they are a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or have temporary lawful resident status.
Rep. Capley clarified that any applicants with written statements from a physician that they have a hearing impairment would not be affected by this proposed provision.
Democrat Behn was again the only subcommittee member to object to the bill’s premise, contending that driving is a necessity and creating a restricted license category for individuals who can’t pass the exam in English limits them from being able to “meaningfully participate in their economy” and does not actually address road safety issues.
“Driving is a privilege, not a right,” Capley responded. “You have to earn the privilege to drive in the state of Tennessee. We have the restricted one-year license that would include work, hospital visits, et cetera. After that one year, they can take the test in English, they have a year to study. All of our signs are in English, all our traffic commands are given in English, if the THP pulls you over, guess what he’s speaking? English.”
While Behn felt this type of legislation is “an abhorrent use of our time,” and vowed to vote “No in perpetuity,” the remaining committee members disagreed, again voting 8-1 to advance the bill out of the subcommittee.
Both bills passed by the subcommittee, HB1706 and HB1708, will now head to the full House Transportation Committee.
A third bill on the topic, HB1817, was deferred and rescheduled for the next available calendar of the subcommittee as it is undergoing some amendments.
It aims to keep drivers with a commercial license off the roads if they are unable to sufficiently read and speak English, but may look different after bill sponsor Rep. Lowell Russell presents his amendments the next time the committee hears it.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Good! Behn is lucifer’s gal.