My name is Valdirene. I came to this country 10 years ago in search of a better life. In 2006 I gave birth to my beautiful and smart daughter, Alicy. She is 7 years old, but she has never been able to walk because she has spina bifida, a common disabling birth defect affecting the spine.

I need a driver’s license to take Alicy to the doctor, to school and to her physical therapy. However, I cannot get one because of my immigration status. Every day, I face a horrible dilemma: is it more important that my daughter get the medical treatment she needs, or that I don’t run the risk of being taken from her and deported  for driving without a license?

In Massachusetts, there is no path to follow the law for many residents who wish to take a driver’s exam, drive lawfully, and carry insurance. The Safe Driving Bill would provide this path and it could even save lives, by allowing all drivers to learn our traffic rules and by increasing families’ mobility to cover their needs and emergencies.

I am urging your support for this bill. Washington, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Vermont, Connecticut & Washington D.C. allow all their residents to drive, or have passed laws that will soon do so. The time is now for Massachusetts to follow. Help me give Alicy a chance to live the life I have dreamed for her, as you have dreamed for your children.