Make art, write a poem and/or write a letter urging Speaker Wentworth and Representative Calley to reschedule a hearing for the HB 4835 & HB 4836 Drive Safe bills. Scroll below to find a sample letter you can copy in downloadable pdf, editable word doc, and plain text!
Facts:
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Hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents are not able to access an ID or Driver’s License
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Too many Michiganders cannot engage in their communities, participate in our state economy fully and complete everyday tasks with dignity and without fear.
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Many immigrant workers are labeled “essential” yet are expected to get to and from work without the ability to have a valid driver's license
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Together, we can make Michigan a place where freedom is for everyone: whether you are Black, Indigenous, undocumented, working-class, or otherwise marginalized. We all want the right to care for our loved ones and to move freely without feeling like a target.
Our ask:
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To restore the right of all Michiganders to access a state ID or Driver's License with proof of identity and Michigan residency, regardless of citizenship status.
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Ask Rep Calley and speaker Wentworth to schedule a date and time for a hearing for the Drive Safe bills.
Mail out your letters and artwork to:
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Rep. Julie Calley
N-1191 House Office Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909
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Speaker Jason Wentworth
164 Capitol Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514
Sample letter to copy from and edit.
Dear Speaker Wentworth and Representative Calley,
[My name is _____]. I currently live in ______ Michigan. I am proud of the beautiful state we live in; the state’s history in the automobile industry, and how everyone has supported one other during this pandemic. And yet, we continue to deny many communities the opportunity to drive safely and freely with drivers licenses. It has been over a decade, and we have hundreds of thousands of Michiganders unable to drive. You can help your fellow Michiganders by doing one thing; We urge you to reschedule the hearing for the Drive SAFE bills (HB 4835 & 4836). We can create a safer Michigan that not only will give residents a license, but will also open up new opportunities:
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Drivers will be able to obtain car insurance and help generate income for the state and make it more likely to have a driver stop when they get in a traffic accident.
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Drivers will now be able to take driving lessons to learn how to better follow traffic laws
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Improve relations with law enforcement and no more fear of being pulled over for something as simple as a faulty brake light
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To drive like any other resident here in Michigan-without fear that they will be separated from their families.
Together, we can make Michigan a place where freedom is for everyone: whether you are Black, Indigenous, undocumented, working-class, or otherwise marginalized. We all want the right to care for our loved ones and to move freely without feeling like a target. There have been too many instances of law enforcement stopping a person for the color of their skin, speaking a foreign language, having an accent, or for living in a “high crime” neighborhood. Our Immigrant community deserves BETTER. We all need the right to obtain a driver’s license, regardless of how long we’ve been here or what documentation we have.
Speaker Wentworh and Representative Lily, give HB 4835 & HB 4836 a hearing this year to create a better Michigan for ALL..
Sincerely,
[Name]/[A concerned Michigander]