TALLAHASSEE, FL – Yesterday, committees in both the House and Senate passed bills prohibiting counties and municipalities from accepting certain community identification cards or documents as a form of identification. House Bill 1451 (HB 1451) passed in the House State Affairs Committee, and Senate Bill 1174 (SB 1174) passed in the Senate Rules Committee respectively.
The ACLU of Florida opposes both bills.
Silvana Caldera, senior policy strategist at the ACLU of Florida, responded with the following:
“Community IDs can provide the freedom to engage and access everyday staples of everyday life. From enrolling in a gym, signing up for a library card, or picking up medications, Florida residents have and should continue to benefit from community ID programs.
“Obtaining a government ID or driver’s license can be difficult for many residents, such as elderly and disabled individuals, victims of domestic violence, immigrants, and the homeless and housing-insecure populations. Prohibiting local municipalities from setting up these programs to assist their residents is gross government overreach.
“It is critical that every single person in our state can live, work, and travel without fear of violence, harassment, and discrimination. Instead of stifling Floridians’ ability to live their lives, Florida lawmakers should be focusing on making the state a better place to live.”
