Wisconsin Official seeks stricter driver license requirements

State Rep. Mark Gundrum thinks his bill makes sense: require immigrants to have legal status in the United States before they can get Wisconsin driver's licenses. Such a requirement would bolster public safety and security from terrorists, said the Republican lawmaker from New Berlin. But several Latino immigrants and advocates in southern Wisconsin think such a law would hurt public safety. Undocumented immigrants would continue to drive, they say, but without passing written and road tests to prove they know how to drive legally. The issue resurfaced in recent discussions about reforming the federal government's intelligence gathering. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, Republican congressman from Menomonee Falls, balked at a reform bill because he wanted a provision to standardize how states grant driver's licenses. Wisconsin is one of 11 states that do not require an immigrant to have legal status-valid visa, permanent residency or citizenship-to get a driver's license. Wisconsin requires proof of name and birth date, such as a birth certificate; proof of identity, such as a Social Security or credit card, and proof of Wisconsin residency, such as a utility bill in the applicant's name. [more]