Gov. Brown Welcomes Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto
SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) – Mexico's president is in California for a two-day visit and will address the Legislature in Sacramento on Tuesday at a luncheon in the president's honor.
Gov. Jerry Brown welcomed President Enrique Pena Nieto to California by reminding him of the cultural and historical ties shared by the two places.
Brown addressed Pena Nieto before a friendly crowd Monday in Los Angeles during a speech that played up his immigrant-friendly credentials.
Brown says it wasn't long ago that another governor had outlawed driver's licenses for people in the country illegally from Mexico. He signed a bill into law that will allow immigrants to get a driver's license next year.
Pena Nieto didn't single out any state by name, but he called out unethical governors who had cracked down on immigration.
Brown says Mexico and California are united for a better future. He spoke of the deep past the two places shared and how California was invested in teaching English to Spanish-speaking students.
There was no immediate word on what Pena Nieto plans to say Tuesday, but Mexico and the U.S. share concerns about a host of issues, including immigration and pollution. Mexico also is California's largest export market.
During the governor's trip to Mexico last month, he signed nonbinding agreements on trade, education and environmental cooperation.
One calls for a pilot program to educate Mexican temporary farm workers who travel to California about their rights and for the creation of a database of people in Mexico who recruit U.S.-bound, low-skilled workers.
California also agreed to help Mexico find ways to build renewable energy plants in Baja California and to find ways to shorten long waits at the Tijuana-San Diego international border crossing.
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