
Safe Highways
Position
The Chamber does support passage of legislation establishing a pilot identification program that would allow for the issuance of drivers' permits to immigrants who would not otherwise qualify for drivers' licenses. The Driver's License/Immigration Subcommittee of the Indiana Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs outlined such a program in its 2005 report to Governor Daniels. As noted in the report, "After passing the Real ID Act, Congress did little to provide states with the resources to comply with the Act, and Indiana must resolve to find solutions that will continue to protect its citizens ... from any possible security risk, address the needs of the Hispanic/Latino communities and insure that all Indiana drivers are insured and have been educated as to the rules of the road." Such legislation would not condone illegal immigration or attempt to enforce the nation's immigration laws; it would address public safety concerns that are traditionally the province of the states.