JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Next time you get a new driver’s license or state ID in Florida, you could notice some changes.
Specifically, you may see an indicator identifying you as a US citizen.
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The proposal is part of a bill that cleared its first committee in the Florida Senate on Wednesday.
The bill would mandate the citizenship markers on all new IDs issued beginning on July 1st of next year.
Bill sponsor State Senator Erin Grall (R-Fort Pierce) argued it will make it easier for election officials to determine voting eligibility.
“And we are certain that they are not a non-citizen being involved with our elections,” Grall said.
It’s not clear what the citizenship indicator may look like in Florida.
In the five states that currently offer “enhanced diver’s licenses,” which include citizenship markers, a US flag is commonly used.
In those states, which all border Canada, the markers are intended to ease border crossings.
But Maria Garcia with the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance said she suspects a more nefarious intent behind the Florida proposal.
“I think that when right off the bat a bill is introduced, and the general public and the media is calling the bill a scarlet letter, you’re getting into very scary territory,” Garcia said.
Floridians we spoke with agreed the labels could lead to discrimination.
“I think it automatically makes a person judgmental against you,” Orlando resident Darnice Hughes said.
“It really shows that you don’t belong or somethings different about you,” Duval resident Jutluka Hernandez said.
During the hearing on Wednesday, concerns were also raised about another provision in the bill that would require proof of citizenship when a person registers to vote or updates their voter registration.
The same requirements would apply when a person updates information on their driver’s license or state-issued ID starting in July of this year.
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Voting rights groups argued the requirement could disenfranchise thousands of legal US citizens in Florida who don’t have access to documentation like original birth certificates or valid passports.
“Many Floridians do not have these documents readily available, and obtaining replacements can be costly and time- consuming,” Brad Ashwell with All Voting is Local said.
But Grall noted a REAL ID-compliant ID also suffices as proof of citizenship.
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“99 percent of IDs used by Floridians in the state right now are REAL ID compliant,” Grall said. ”If you have a valid REAL ID and you are a citizen, you should not have to reprove it.”
The bill still has two more committee stops in the Senate before reaching the floor.
A similar bill in the House has one more committee stop before it will be ready for a floor vote.
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