During the early hours of Wednesday, Feb. 22, the Democrats’ Driver’s Licenses for All bill passed out of the Senate with party-line votes, said Senator Cal Bahr (R-East Bethel). This legislation provides non-citizens with the right to a Minnesota driver’s license with no protections for our elections or national security.

Under this bill, people who are here illegally will receive a state-issued Class D identification that is identical to a Minnesota resident’s license. This is problematic to state and national security, as bad actors can use this license in a variety of official capacities, such as applying for state benefits and accessing military bases and federal buildings across the country.

“The Driver’s License for All is an all-access pass for those who are here illegally,” said Senator Bahr. “Violent crimes are still on the rise in Minnesota, and we as lawmakers should do all we can to ensure safer streets. The Democrat majority, however, made their public safety priority clear: allowing non-citizens the right to a driver’s license with no safeguards in place. This legislation will only facilitate further lawlessness by bad actors and allow fraud and abuse to run rampant in our state. One of my major concerns with this policy is the effect it will have on employment. And with the way this bill is written, the new state-issued documentation will only make it easier for unscrupulous employers to hire and exploit labor; creating a subclass of employees.”

Additionally, the Driver’s Licenses for All bill will significantly compromise elections. Another Democrat bill moving through the legislature seeks to provide automatic voter registration of applicants for a driver’s license. And therefore, when both proposals are combined, the state’s elections will be in severe jeopardy. And the security of elections will be further compromised, as the Democrats’ bill does not require data to be shared with other agencies, like the Secretary of State.

During the extensive floor debate, Senate Republicans proposed key amendments to address the lack of safeguards. The Senate majority, however, accepted none of the Republican proposals, including:

• Denoting the license is for driving privileges only and cannot be used for voting
• Addressing a national security loophole where, until REAL ID standards are enforced in 2025, non-citizens can use their Minnesota license to gain access to federal buildings and flights 
• Requiring data sharing for the purposes of helping victims of crime