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New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson

Excerpt from transcript of Democratic debate, Las Vegas, Nevada, November 15, 2007.

GOV. RICHARDSON:  Well . . . I did [grant licenses to undocumented immigrants].  You know why?  Because [the president and] the Congress . . . failed miserably to pass comprehensive immigration [reform].  And we need to have it in this country.

My legislature sent me a bill.  I signed it.  My law enforcement people said it's a matter of public safety.  What we need is public safety, a reduction in traffic fatalities.  We wanted more people to be insured.  When we started with this program, 33 percent of all New Mexicans . . . were uninsured.  Today it's 11 percent.  Traffic fatalities have gone down.  It's a matter of public safety.
 

Debate transcript available on the website of the Council of Foreign Relations.