HB167-Anti-Community IDs Heard in Committee Today

Raleigh, NC-Today, HB167 “Community Action ID Card Restrictions” , was heard in House Judiciary Committee 2. El Pueblo’s Deputy Director, María González, spoke against the harmful bill highlighting the need for identification for communities unable to obtain state-issued IDs.

Following comments from fellow representatives on the committee and concerned community members such as Maria, bill sponsor, Rep. George Cleveland, opted not move HB167 to a vote in the committee today.

Full testimony from María González:

“HB 167 does not address the real need for identification for communities who are often unable to obtain IDs, such as homeless individuals, members of the LGTBQ community, immigrants ineligible for state-issued IDs, and individuals unable to remove debt-related restrictions for the issuance of their state IDs. That’s why these IDs were created. Those without social security were banned from receiving licenses. However 19 states have laws in place that allow this so there’s ways to do it. Then when they began using the identifications from their home country’s consulate – a federally issued ID- they were banned from using those as well in 2015.

These IDs are critical, not only to be identified by law enforcement, but for other everyday needs like obtaining medication and medical care as well as participating in the cultural or business life of their community.

We hope that there’s a compassionate to be reassured that our communities are safe but not at the expense of other more vulnerable communities.

Please vote no against this bill right now and support a state issued form of ID so that our communities can feel safer.”

– María González, Deputy Director of El Pueblo.

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