Residents March and Rally in Trenton Calling for Expanded Access to Drivers Licenses and say, “We’ve been fighting for this for over 10 years!”

TRENTON–December 17th– More than a 100 residents marched in Trenton calling on NJ legislators to move forward expanding access to drivers licenses in New Jersey.  Marches started at Turning Point Methodist Church on Broad Street and chanted in front statehouse, ending at the War Memorial with a rally. Speakers shared remarks about the need for expanding access to drivers licenses for residents in a state where driving is a necessity.  Currently, 500,000 New Jersey residents are not able to access a drivers license.

Speakers included privacy rights, LGBT rights, immigrant rights, and criminal justice reform advocates who spoke to the benefits of expanding access to drivers licenses for all residents, especially marginalized communities. Legislation introduced earlier this year A4743/S3229 would address the need for access through a universal standard driver’s license.  The standard driver’s license option would be accessible to residents regardless of status.

“For our patients who are formerly incarcerated or face homelessness, the few forms of identification they have are often not accepted by the Motor Vehicles Commission (MVC) including county jail or department of corrections issued ID cards. This is a significant barrier to people who are returning to their communities with the goal of restarting their lives. It is critical that we work to change systems that are preventing people from achieving their goals rather than blame the individual,” said Victor Murray, Director, Care Management Initiatives. “A4743 and S3229 can successfully improve our communities’ ability to get identification documents critical for the health and well-being of our patients and their families. The Camden Coalition urges legislators to support this legislation and ease the burden for those in our community with complex health and social needs.”

“The threats to privacy and security posed by the federal Real ID Act make the creation of a standard basic license urgent for New Jersey. Otherwise, New Jerseyans will be forced to submit high-resolution copies of their most sensitive documents for the government to store and share, putting us at risk – and that’s just for those who can get one,” said ACLU-NJ Policy Counsel Dianna Houenou. “For people who have difficulty producing required documents, who are often marginalized already, the lack of a standard basic license will deprive them of access to their own identities and keep them from living their lives. A4743/S3229 takes important steps toward countering the dangers of Real ID Act implementation, and we urge the Legislature to hold hearings and ultimately pass this essential legislation as soon as possible.”

“Expanding access to driver’s licenses was first proposed in New Jersey twelve years ago, but immigrant communities and advocates were told that it was “not the right time.” The issue has been ignored ever since, even though is a commonsense policy to have New Jersey’s roads with more folks that are trained, licensed, and insured. There are now twelve states (and DC) that allow universal access to driver’s licenses, and it’s been proven to increase road safety and economic opportunity. There is no reason for New Jersey to wait any longer,” said Erika J. Nava, Policy Analyst, New Jersey Policy Perspective.

“Drivers licenses are important for me and my children. I fight for a life where I am not forced to walk in the cold winter with them to drop them off at school. Expanding drivers licenses benefits everyone by making our roads safer and more accessible. We call on our elected officials to take action now and bring legislation to a vote to expand access to drivers licenses to more qualified New Jersey drivers,” said Maria Amalia Hernandez, member of Make the Road New Jersey.

“I work outside of my town. I go in at 10pm. At that time there is no public transportation, no bus available to take me to work. In winter, we cannot call taxis because they take over 30 minutes and sometimes they never even make it. In the winter, our children freeze because our school district does not provide transportation to and from school,” said Andrea Lopez, mother and resident of Dover, Member of Wind of the Spirit. “Driver’s Licenses are a necessity in New Jersey, not a luxury. Let us live with dignity, we have the right to be able to feel safe, because we too pay taxes. We have the right to feel safe on the road, to not have to hide.”

Twelve states and Washington, D.C. have expanded access to drivers licenses to qualified drivers, regardless of immigration status.  New Jersey could become the 13th state to expand access to drivers licenses in the U.S., following states like California, Utah, Washington, and the District of Columbia which have successfully implemented similar expansions.

The Let’s Drive NJ Campaign is supported by a diverse array of faith, labor and community organizations from across the state. More information about the campaign can be found at LetsDriveNJ.org.