Read our written testimony to the Idaho Senate Transportation Committee. Learn more about the Manejando Sin Miedo (Driving Without Fear) campaign here.
March 3, 2021
Idaho Senate Transportation Committee:
On behalf of the Idaho Chapter of the Sierra Club and our nearly 20,000 supporters across the state of Idaho, I’m writing to urge you to vote “Yes” on Senate Bill 1132 to create the option for Idahoans to obtain Driver Authorization Cards.
As advocates for safe, affordable, equitable, and clean transportation, we see this bill as an opportunity to make our roads safer for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, alike, and to ensure that every Idaho resident has access to safe and reliable transportation options.
This is important because we all need the ability to move around our community—to go to work, school, church, the grocery store, the doctor’s office, family and friends’ homes—and oftentimes driving is the only reasonable option when walking, riding a bike, or taking the bus are not safe, accessible, or timely, particularly in rural Idaho. We envision and advocate for a world in which these healthier, low-pollution transportation options are more widely available, but know that right now driving a car is how most people are able to get around. And everyone deserves to have access to that option for them and their families.
Right now that’s not the case. There are some Idaho residents who aren’t comfortable or able to obtain a Driver’s License due to the stringent identification requirements, so they have to limit their driving or drive with the constant fear of being pulled over. This is particularly the case for undocumented immigrants who are here contributing significantly to our economy and tax base and raising their families, yet face a daily struggle to do things as simple as driving to work or driving their kids to school. SB 1132 would create an option for them and all Idahoans to get a Driver Authorization Card and drive with the same security, confidence, and training as other licensed drivers.
Idaho residents deserve the same freedoms and opportunities as those in neighboring states like Utah and Nevada, where Driver Authorization Cards are already available and providing a range of community benefits. Let’s make our roads safer, save lives, and restore dignity and opportunity for all Idaho residents through equitable transportation options. Please vote Yes on SB 1132.
Thank you,
Lisa Young
Director
