When a person climbs behind the wheel of a semitruck, they should be qualified to handle the large vehicle and follow all road signs and driving laws. However, that's not always the case, as seen in the many fatalities reported nationwide at the hands of unqualified illegal aliens.
On a recent episode of FM Talk 1065's "The Jeff Poor Show," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said an effort was underway at the federal level to ensure only English-speaking, legal residents were given commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) and allowed to drive large trucks.
"I think we do a better job of it in Alabama than other places, and I think our trucking association has been proactive," Marshall said. "But you see an effort, particularly right now at the federal level, with my good friend Ashley Moody, the senator from Florida, with the Safe Truckers Act, being able to say two things now have to fundamentally be in play. Number one: if you're going to get a CDL, you have to be proficient in the English language. Makes perfect sense, right, that you need to be able to read the signs, be able to understand the English language, to be able to safely operate large trucks on our roads. But we're also going to make sure that a CDL is going to be issued specifically to those who are in this country as citizens or have special status that otherwise is recognized. And so I think both of those need to be the law of the land, so the exceptions don't apply."
Marshall said this would not only make the roads safer but also help more American citizens find employment.
"And look, if we make sure that illegals are not driving our trucks, what we're doing is opening up jobs for American citizens to be able to have good-paying jobs that otherwise are being taken by others. And so, I commend that effort at the federal level and also know that in Alabama, the Trucking Association is trying to also advocate for similar measures to be able to protect us on our roads here."
Marshall said the Safe Truckers Act would also ensure that liberal states like California could not give CDLs to unqualified migrants who could then endanger drivers in Alabama.
"It's going to preempt liberal laws like from the state of California or wherever else it may be, so that there's uniformity across all of our nation's highways," he said. "And so, you know, Senator Moody's bill will be able to address the issues I discussed, along with accountability for states improving that they're insuring proficiency in the English language for those that have received CDLs. I think that is a lawful exercise of federal power and authority because it goes directly, as you described it to begin with, this is a public safety issue. And this is one that I think everybody ought to be able to support."
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