An array of Denver’s top civic, political and religious leaders were anxiously eyeing partial returns Tuesday night that showed considerable voter support for a ballot initiative requiring police to impound the vehicles of unlicensed drivers.
Initiative 100 had garnered the support of 54 percent of the 56,514 votes counted by midnight. Those voicing opposition had 46 percent of that vote, with elections workers still tabulating results at 12:05 a.m.
“It’s leading right now, and I think it’s just wondrous that the people could see through all this propaganda,” said one of the leading proponents, Dan Hayes, who went to a gym as polls closed and didn’t monitor results until late in the evening. “I think it’s a big blow to the City Council, which is clearly working for illegal immigrants and has no clear idea about safety and making the city a safer place.”
The proposal had stirred opposition from Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a majority of members on the Denver City Council, religious leaders and advocates for immigrants.
Opponents included the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver.
Critics contended the proposal was a thinly veiled attack against illegal immigrants, who aren’t allowed to have Colorado driver’s licenses.
In addition, Hickenlooper argued that passage of the measure would create a costly bureaucratic nightmare for the city.
But supporters, who had done no formal campaigning and relied only on word of mouth, argued that the measure would drive down insurance rates by getting unlicensed and dangerous drivers off the roads.
City Councilman Rick Garcia, co-chairman of an effort to defeat the proposal, said the campaign to defeat the measure hadn’t really kicked into high gear until well after absentee ballots had been mailed in. He hoped last-minute voters were swayed by last-minute mailings and would still defeat the measure when all ballots were counted.
Under the city’s current laws, police have the authority to impound vehicles for a host of reasons, but the decision on whether to impound a car is left up to officers.
The ballot initiative would require police to impound vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers. The ordinance that would be passed at the direction of the initiative specifically requires such impoundments to occur when the vehicle was driven by an “illegal alien.”
To get the car released from impoundment, its owner would have to post a $2,500 bond, which would be forfeited if the car was driven again by an unlicensed driver within one year.
The ordinance also requires a $100 payment, which supporters said would help finance the cost of implementing the measure.
Supporters argued that the measure was designed to get unlicensed drivers off the roads and would drive down insurance rates.
They disputed that illegal immigrants were being targeted and stressed that those who had been convicted of drunken driving were just as likely to be affected.
When he announced his opposition, Hickenlooper said the measure would require that the city hire 11 police officers and 12 additional sheriff’s deputies for enforcement.
The city has been impounding 20,000 cars annually.
City officials estimated that if the measure passes, the city will end up impounding 30,000 additional cars each year.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
