As predicted in the last post. From the Miami Herald:

Saying rigorous screening standards would ensure recipients ''won't be terrorists,'' Gov. Jeb Bush on Monday strongly endorsed issuing state driver's licenses to both illegal immigrants and foreign nationals who make Florida home for part of the year.

Hundreds of thousands of people could be affected by the proposal, which is currently making its way through the Florida Legislature. Sen. Rudy Garcia, a Hialeah Republican pushing the measure in the Senate, says it would enable those stuck in immigration limbo to drive with valid licenses and get insurance while they work to become citizens.

''Our roads and streets will be safer because of this,'' Garcia said, adding that the sprawling nature of most Florida cities makes owning a car a necessity, and that the state, by not giving illegal immigrants licenses, ``almost tells these folks to break the law, because that's the only way they're going to be doing anything.''

...The driver's license question presents lawmakers with a potentially volatile election-year issue, one that could woo Hispanic voters but is also credited with helping defeat former California Gov. Gray Davis during last year's recall election.

...Bush also made it a point to say he was not encouraging more illegal immigration into the United States.

''We shouldn't allow them to come into our country to begin with,'' Bush said. ``But once they're here, what do you do? Do you say that they're lepers to society? That they don't exist? It seems that a policy that ignores them is a policy of denial.''

We've come to expect bizarre behavior from Floridians, and the quotes above are prime examples.

As for "those folks" breaking the law, they've already broken at least one law by illegally staying in our country. They may have broken others as well. As for Jeb's statement that this won't encourage more illegal immigration, that's beyond laughable. When you offer incentives for a certain behavior, you automatically encourage more of that behavior. By making it easy to be an illegal alien in Florida, Jeb will just encourage more illegal immigration.

Jeb would be advised to consider the following from the Davis recall:

An exit poll commissioned by the Federation for American Immigration Reform showed that 30 percent of California voters said they were somewhat or much more likely to vote against Mr. Davis because he signed the law. Only 8 percent of voters were somewhat or much more likely to support him because of it.