The Michigan Board of Education adopted a resolution this week supporting the passage of legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses in the state.
Senate Bills 631-632 and House Bills 5192-5193 were introduced in November and would permit the Michigan Secretary of State to issue a “non-commercial driver’s license and/or a personal identification card to an under-documented resident of Michigan, under prescribed conditions.”
Democrats are calling the package of bills the “Drive SAFE” legislation, which stands for safety, access, freedom, and economy. The bills are carried by Sens. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) in the Senate, and Reps. Alex Garza (D-Taylor) and Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) in the House.
Chang said during a November press conference that the bills would allow “Michigan residents who meet the definition of residency in Michigan and can prove their identity, but may not be able to prove lawful presence, to access operator’s licenses or state ID cards,” The Michigan Star reported.
The Michigan Board of Education’s resolution passed during a Tuesday meeting in a vote of 6-1 with one abstention, the board said in a press release.
In its resolution, the board states that it “strongly believes that all parents need to be present and actively engaged in their children’s education every day, and a parent’s ability to legally drive a vehicle to and from school is a frequent necessity.”
“A parent’s ability to legally drive a vehicle to school functions before school and in the evenings when public transportation may not be available is essential to stay engaged in their child’s education,” the resolution continues. “Under-documented residents of Michigan who are parents of children in our schools are hindered from fully participating in their child’s education because they are currently not allowed to be issued a Michigan driver’s license.”
An agenda for the January 14 meeting did not list the resolution as an action item and no minutes from the meeting have been released yet.
The board said it will send a copy of the resolution to every member of the Michigan Legislature, the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. The bill is unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has expressed support for the legislation, but Republicans pointed out that she voted against a similar bill when she was a state senator.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Michigan Driver’s License” by Michigan.gov.
Just because a cat might cover its crap in the litter box doesn’t mean it’s not still there. Eventually it will begin to stink. Or what about two wrongs doesn’t make a right?