Indiana legislators reject the plan for immigrant drivers licenses

Indianapolis, Indiana – A bill that would have allowed people living in the country illegally to receive state-issued identification cards allowing them to drive has been shelved by Indiana lawmakers.

The bill had received the support of a state Senate committee in early February, but it was unable to move forward in another committee before this week’s deadline for action.

The law sought to legalize the issuance of driver privilege cards, which are already used in many other jurisdictions. The plan called for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to issue the licenses to foreign nationals who pass the state’s driving exam, pay Indiana taxes from the previous year, submit to a background check using their fingerprints, and provide proof of auto insurance.

When similar bills were filed over the past ten years but were never taken up in the Republican-controlled Legislature, immigrant groups applauded the Homeland Security and Transportation Committee’s support for the legislation. The Senate Appropriations Committee had to approve the bill in order for it to pass since it would have cost the BMV an estimated $1.4 million to create the new license.

Rodric Bray, a Republican serving as Senate President Pro Tem, stated that he appreciated the backers of the bill’s claim that the program would increase road safety and decrease the number of uninsured drivers.

Opponents of the bill had concerns about the state granting driving rights to those who were breaking federal immigration laws.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Blake Doriot of Goshen, called federal immigration policy a “bipartisan screwup” for decades but noted that immigrants played a significant role in the state’s labor force, particularly in the recreational vehicle sector, a significant employer in his district in northern Indiana.

According to Bray, it can often take several years to overcome legislative opposition to a change in this kind of legislation.

“It’s an idea that I would imagine will continue to come back but just hard for some people to get there,” Bray said.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, comparable driving cards have previously been approved by 18 states in recent years, including California, Illinois, New York, and Utah.