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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2024
Contact: Cheri Hardmon
(517) 643-7236
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Secretary Benson statement on Senate passage of House Bill 5103 to lift harsh restrictions on driver's license issuance
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson today released the following statement on the Senate?s passage of HB 5103, removing the harsh multi-year ban on issuing a driver?s license to citizens cited for driving without a valid license:?
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?I?m glad to see the Legislature vote to repeal a severe provision in Michigan law by passing HB 5103 today.??
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?Similar to ?Driver Responsibility Fees? of years past, the multi-year prohibition from obtaining a legal driver?s license is an added and unnecessary roadblock for thousands of Michiganders. Without a reasonable path to legal driving, they are barred from employment opportunities, have limited mobility and independence, and put an added strain on friends and family who must provide their transportation.?
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?As we have discovered from visitors to our Road to Restoration clinics, this penalty disproportionately affects young people who have limited access to driver?s education. Mistakes they made in driving without a license, perhaps without understanding the gravity of the situation or out of necessity, have kept them ineligible to drive for years, trapping them in a cycle that was hard to break.?
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?This step forward will allow more Michiganders to properly obtain their license and make it easier for people to go to work, take their kids to school, and care for their communities.??
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