ATLANTA - Gov. Sonny Perdue Wednesday vetoed a bill sponsored by state Rep. James Mills of Gainesville that would have required law enforcement officers to impound the vehicle of any person caught driving without a valid driver’s license.
The bill had been criticized by Hispanic advocates as unfairly targeting immigrants, something Mills repeatedly denied.
In signing the veto, Gov. Perdue said "While it does provide three exceptions – (1) persons driving with an expired license; (2) first-time offenders that are under 17 years of age; and (3) persons otherwise exempt from carrying a Georgia drivers’ license – it mandates impoundment in all other circumstances."
Perdue went on to say "To help address what I believe to be the concerns of this legislation’s author, I have already signed Senate Bill 350, which enhances the penalties for driving without a valid drivers’ license."
The governor added that he felt he could not sign Mills' bill because "I believe officers should have discretion to determine when a vehicle should be impounded, and because I am concerned about how this legislation will impact new residents to Georgia."
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Posted: Wednesday, May 14th 2008 at 7:39pm
