The Sun Journal editorial (Separate licenses and Immigration, Feb. 19) is off the mark in a couple of important respects. The bill before the Maine Legislature would not require “solid proof” of Maine residency.

The recommendations contained in Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap’s working group report recommend the acceptance of a utility bill as proof of residency.

The illegal alien who came to Portland to get a Maine driver’s license rented a room and if he did not receive a utility bill he could have, under the Dunlap working group recommendations, obtained a form supplied by the Secretary of State’s office that his landlord would sign as proof of his Maine residency.

A waiting period between the time of application and the issuance of an official driver’s license would give officials time to verify information on the application and possibly discover the fact that this individual was in Maine just to get a driver’s license for the purpose of doing us harm.

The Dunlap Working Group discussed but then rejected a waiting period.

Verifying proof of legal presence has to be done, but if the legislature does not do this it should at least include a waiting period to allow officials to scrutinize documentation and verify its authenticity, and it should limit the list of acceptable proofs of residency to those that are solid proof of Maine residency.

Robert Casimiro, Bridgton

Editor’s note: The author is executive director of Mainers for a Sustainable Immigration Policy.