A House committee today is hearing testimony about a bill that would restore access to driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants. This was the state policy up until a rule change in 2003, and had bipartisan approval in both the House and Senate in recent years.
House bill sponsor Aiesha Gomez was on with WCCO's Vineeta Sawkar and says that this bill is needed for numerous reasons.
"It's about human dignity and it's also about safety on our roads and being sure everybody who gets behind the wheel has demonstrated via a written and in-person test that they understand the rules of the road and can operate a car safely. And that they have access to insurance in case anything goes wrong."
Representative Gomez says fears are unfounded that the bill will lead to undocumented immigrants using a driver's license to vote illegally. Gomez points out driver's licenses are not required to vote in Minnesota.
Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka was voiced his own support, saying that requiring drivers training will make roads safer for people already driving
It's important for them to be able to go to work, be able to make a paycheck but also to do so safely and operate on our roads safely and to be responsible drivers out there."
The Minnesota House of Representatives Transportation Committee will consider amendments to the proposal later today.