A proposal that’s been working its way through committees, and is soon to be on the Senate floor, is the Democrats’ driver’s licenses for all legislation. This bill already passed out of the House of Representatives, and Gov. Tim Walz has indicated he will sign it into law.

Previously, bipartisan bills like this were introduced in the Legislature. However, this year’s proposal is vastly different from past attempts to create a driver’s license for non-citizens of Minnesota and the United States. This bill contains a lot of problems, and it would certainly cause a lot of issues for our state.

First, this legislation would provide state-issued Class D identification to non-citizens that are the same as the licenses you and I have as citizens. This is problematic because bad actors could use their ID in several official capacities including applying for state benefits and accessing military bases and federal buildings across the country. This is extremely concerning.

The driver’s licenses for all proposal also significantly compromises Minnesota’s elections. Another Democrat proposal moving through the legislature provides automatic voter registration of driver’s license applicants. Consequently, when this proposal is combined with the driver’s licenses for all bill, our elections are in great jeopardy.

Election security would be further compromised as the Democrats’ bill does not require data to be shared with other agencies like the Secretary of State. To resolve these issues, I strongly believe that driver’s licenses for non-citizens should at least indicate that they are “For Driving Purposes Only.”

The Democrats’ driver’s licenses for all proposal lacks critical safeguards that will only make Minnesota susceptible to abuse and fraud. As the legislation stands, I cannot support it.

I want to hear from you, my constituents, on issues that are important to you. Please feel free to reach out to my office with any concerns or ideas you may have.

As session moves forward, I will keep your thoughts and concerns in mind as legislation comes before me. You can contact my office at 651-296-8138 or at sen.gary.dahms@senate.mn.

— Gary Dahms represents District 15 in the Minnesota Senate