Have you ever thought about what your driver’s license means to you? If you are like me, you sort of take it for granted. But when you think about it, it is a very important aspect of your life. I need it for every trip I drive in a car, either down the block or across the country. If I want to cash a check, I present my driver’s license. When I visit a doctor, the staff asks for my driver’s license. The utility company asks for my driver’s license to determine that I am who I say I am. When I go to Costco as a senior for special covid hours, the staff wants to see my driver’s license. For many people, a driver’s license is not only the only legal way to be able to drive, but it is also their only form of legal ID.
What if you suddenly didn’t have a license? You would not be able to legally drive your child to see a doctor if your child became sick. You could not go to a school to meet with a teacher about your child’s special needs. You would not be able to present an ID to vote. You would not be able to drive to work, nor operate equipment on the job (for example, construction equipment) required by your employer. You could lose your job. You could not cash a check at the bank. For the great majority of people who do not have a passport, you could not board an airplane or a train.
What if your child suddenly lost his license for not going to school, or for being found with a small amount of alcohol at a party? As a working parent, would you be able to drive your offspring to school or to an after-school job? Would he/she have to give up high school graduation or saving for college, for one small mistake? Would opportunities become so limited that there would be no way to earn a living wage, and the future be one of poverty and/or petty crime?
The Alabama legislature is considering a bill, sponsored by Rep. Pringle, that would stop the suspension of a driver’s license for certain non-driving related offenses, like failure to appear in court, drug possession of small amounts of drugs, alcohol possession by a minor not in a vehicle, etc. This bill would allow people, who qualify under the bill, to retain a driver’s license, retain their employment dependent upon a driver’s license, vote, and be able to care for their families’ medical and other needs.
Let’s support House Bill 129, a bill that keeps people in the workforce, supporting their families and paying taxes to the state, instead of making their families dependents of the state when they lose their means of livelihood. The League of Women Voters of Alabama Advocacy Team will keep you posted on the status of this important bill. We want you to be prepared to contact your elected representative and make your voice heard on this bill!
