Several new state laws were ushered in with 2015

California, under Jerry Brown’s governance, kicked off 2015 with 930 new laws, most of which are unnecessary, many of which are crazy, some of which are dangerous and all of which are costly. Even though Brown vetoed 143 bills which he said were too expensive or ineffective, he signed the majority.

Among them is a $300 million tax break for Brown’s Hollywood friends and donors, a restriction imposed on schools that bars expelling students who “willfully deny” teachers or administrators at any grade level and prohibits suspending students for defiant behavior through the third grade, and a law allowing transgender Californians to list the gender they identify with on their death certificates, e.g., a male can officially be buried as a female.

As far as Brown and the California legislature are concerned, nothing beats giving tax breaks to the wealthy Hollywood community, letting insolent children off the hook, or officially wading into the debate about sexual identity.

But nowhere was Brown more active than on immigration-related legislation. As of Jan. 1, illegal immigrants will no longer be required to have a valid Social Security number to get state licenses that will permit them to work as doctors, dentists, nurses or security guards, or in a host of other professions.

Second, Proposition 187, the 1994 voter-approved ballot initiative that sought to deny illegal immigrants public services but that was never implemented, will be removed from the California code books. The Latino Legislative Caucus called Prop 187 a “stain” on California’s history, even though 59 percent of the states’ voters supported the measure. Erasing history is known as revisionism, a deceitful practice that scholars scorn.

Third, starting on Jan. 2, California’s illegal immigrants will be able to apply for driver’s licenses. Once they secure their licenses, which will be specially marked to identify the holders as unlawful residents, the aliens will qualify for California’s Low Cost Auto Insurance Program.

However, a separate new law prohibits employers from discriminating against an illegal immigrant who has a special license. Note: Hiring an illegal immigrant is a criminal offense. Employers who knowingly employ illegal aliens are subject to fines that range from $250 to $2,500 for the first violation, and $3,000 to $10,000 for a third violation.

But, in another California paradox, advocates have pointed to the need for transportation to the job site as one of the arguments that illegal immigrants should have licenses.

During the coming months, about 1.5 million illegal immigrants are expected to apply for their new licenses. The Department of Motor Vehicles has hired nearly 1,000 new employees, opened new offices, and added extended weekend hours to accommodate the anticipate rush.

The DMV, in an extremely conservative estimate, predicts that licensing the new drivers will cost California taxpayers $140 million over the next three years.

Because of social media and extensive reporting in Mexico and Central America about California’s liberal laws, licenses will encourage more illegal immigration. Immigrants know they can come to California unlawfully, get free education and Dream Act-subsidized college tuition, be protected from deportation under the Trust Act, become a medical professional and legally drive to the workplace.

Brown continues to ignore, however, that every California resident — native-born like me, and all immigrants, legal or illegal — would benefit from sensible immigration, not the willy-nilly, all-inviting approach that Brown has imposed, without voter input, on the state.

Joe Guzzardi retired from the Lodi Unified School District in 2008. He’s currently a Californians for Population Stabilization senior writing fellow. Email him at [email protected].