Driving PA Forward
Prior to 2002, residents of Pennsylvania were able to legally obtain a driver’s license with a Tax ID Number, or ITIN, a federally issued identifier used to pay taxes by those who do not have a social security number. In 2009, PennDot cancelled the licenses of ten thousands of Pennsylvanians who had obtained their licenses legally. There are estimated 150,000 – 200,000 undocumented immigrants in Pennsylvania and MILPA is committed to returning the right to a driver’s license to all families in the keystone state.
Driver's Licenses Help Meet Basic Needs
The right to mobility, to move freely, is inscribed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many other fundamental needs — to work, to education, and to human dignity — are only accessible via valid identification and adequate transportation. When surveyed, nearly 300 people said that due to lack of a drivers license they have:
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Taken work with less pay or fewer hours (84%)
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Had difficulty renting an apartment/house (81%)
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Taken work with less pay or fewer hours (84%)
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Had difficulty renting an apartment/house (81%)
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Children are scared of losing parent from driving without a license (67%)
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Pennsylvania Economy
The ability to legally drive allows immigrants to fully contribute to the local economy. Access to transportation is necessary for the many immigrant workers, business owners, parents, and students in Pennsylvania. Undocumented Pennsylvanians contribute an estimated $139 million in taxes in PA annually.
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In three years of enacting proposed legislation we could expect a $13 million increase in revenue from taxes, registration fees, licenses fees, and vehicle-related purchases in the first three years after implemented-- a number that far outpaces the cost of implementation.
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In 2010, the state’s immigrants were over 50 percent more likely to own a business than the overall state average, regardless of immigration status. When New Mexico passed a law allowing driver’s licenses for undocumented residents, the state’s uninsurance rate dropped by over 20% in only 5 years, reducing insurance premiums and saving millions of dollars.
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Public Safety
The roads and highways are safer when everyone behind the wheel has a license, insurance, and identification. For this reason, many police officers and sheriffs around the country are in favor of this right being granted to all people. An unmarked license is necessary to encourage all drivers in Pennsylvania to obtain a license. A marked license would perpetuate the fear many immigrants have of deportation and family separation.
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Proven Effective
Sixteen states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Vermont and Washington) as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia already allow their residents to obtain driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status.
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Join the Coalition
Driving PA Forward is a coalition full of members and organizations all throughout the state of PA working to fight for the right of mobility for everyone in our state. The Coalition focuses on our bill’s language, fundraising, action, communication, among others. As an organized community here in our state we can make this possible.
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To learn more on how your organization or group can become a member, please email our Statewide Coordinator Luis Larin at luis@drivingpaforward.org
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Find Your Legislator
Visit this website to find your legislator and contact them.
