The Iowa House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill Thursday that would require Iowa driver’s licenses to show if the holder is a U.S. citizen or not.
Republican Representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull says one of the main goals is to help verify the citizenship of voters. It’s illegal for non-U.S. citizens to vote. But green card holders can get a driver’s license. Wheeler says the bill won’t change who can get a license.
“There have been poll workers that have reached out that have just said it’s been very difficult on election day to be able to distinguish a citizen from somebody who may not be a citizen. Obviously that can also be a challenge with somebody who’s been recently naturalized,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler says the bill doesn’t specify how the Iowa Department of Transportation would verify citizenship. Lawmakers also haven’t picked a deadline for when Iowans would have to update their license.
Democratic Representative Lindsay James of Dubuque voted against the bill. She says it could lead to discrimination against noncitizens when they use their ID for things other than voting.
