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Driver’s Licenses for All Becomes Law!
Posted on Mar 07 2023
March 7, 2023—Today Governor Tim Walz signed the legislation restoring driver’s licenses to all Minnesotans regardless of immigration status so long as they pass the written and practical tests.
This legislation increases safe legal access to our shared roads for everyone, which was the law in Minnesota until 2003. The passage of this legislation was accomplished by the efforts of grassroots immigrant organizations, labor unions and nonprofits, business and law enforcement groups, and elected officials across Minnesota. During the debate, supporters highlighted the diverse interests in favor of this bill, including the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and Minnesota Police Chiefs Association, major labor organizations, and numerous immigrant-led organizations.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, ILCM Executive Director Veena Iyer thanked supporters of the bill and especially the immigrant-led organizations in the forefront of the movement, concluding: “So today, we also celebrate our democracy. One that is messy, but one in which ordinary people can come together to do extraordinary things. One in which Driver’s Licenses for All is only the first of many policies that we will pass together to make our state better for all Minnesotans regardless of their immigration status.”