At a Chicago press conference Tuesday, Governor Pat Quinn and State Senate President John Cullerton said they would seek to fast-track a bill that would give licenses to as many as 250,000 illegal immigrants who are currently driving in the state of Illinois but who haven’t passed a driving test or, in many cases, have no insurance.

State Representative Bill Mitchell is against the idea, calling it an unwise policy. He says it is amazing how quickly things change in Springfield, where the bill was defeated just 2 years ago.

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The two Democrats were joined by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a spokesperson for House Speaker Michael Madigan. Madigan, who is currently traveling overseas, has supported the legislation in the past and is expected to do so when the measure comes up during the lame-duck session of the Illinois General Assembly the first week of the new year.

The issue also has political implications. Latino voters were credited with helping Democrats win big on Election Day.