No more excuses: Why the Democrats in Michigan have to pass the Drive Safe Bills

Earlier today, MLive posted a story with the headline, Michigan Democrats win special elections to regain full control of state government.

With the Democrats now back in control of the State Legislature and the Governor’s office, they no longer can give any excuses for not passing the Drive Safe Bills that were re-introduced in April of 2023.  According to the Democrats who sponsored the Drive Safe Bill, this legislation does the following: 

The Drive SAFE (Safety, Access, Freedom, and the Economy) bill package would apply to everyone living in Michigan who meets the definition of having a residence in the state and is being introduced to increase public safety, grow local economies and preserve human dignity.

The push to win driver’s licenses for all began in 2017-2018, when Movimiento Cosecha began organizing around that demand, partly because one of the main reasons that undocumented immigrants end up being picked up by ICE is when they are stopped by police. 

Movimiento Cosecha has been pushing this issue in Michigan for the past 6 years and were told over and over again in 2022 that if they supported Democratic candidates at the state level, that driver’s licenses for all would pass. This has not happened, so Movimiento Cosecha began to pressure the Democrats again in Lansing in 2023, with demonstrations and even occupying the offices of prominent Democrats like Senator Winnie Brinks, which happened in November of 2023.

The MLive article about the Democrats regaining control of state government stated at the very end, “Lawmakers will be working against the clock. They are set to take a summer break at the end of June and representatives will soon begin campaigning in their districts.” It is true that elected officials will spend the bulk of their time between now and the November election trying to get re-elected, so the window for them to pass the Drive Safe Bills should happen before they go on summer break.

In a recent communique from Movimiento Cosecha, they state: 

As we do every year, Movimiento Cosecha Michigan is gearing up for our May Day march “International Workers Day,” and this year, we’ll be marching in Lansing. Our ongoing efforts to advocate for the passage of the Drivers Licenses for All bill have positioned us at the forefront of this fight, and now we’re taking our message directly to the Michigan Capitol to keep the pressure on legislators.

Undocumented workers across Michigan drive every day to sustain our state’s operations, and they deserve the right to Drive without Fear. We’re asking for your support to make this march a success, and there are several ways you can get help us: 

1. Promote and join the march on May 1st. 2024 at 11 am at the Capitol in Lansing.
   
   1. Here is the FB event https://fb.me/e/55yQhKpcJ
      
2. Take a role:
   
   1. Crowd safety (training is required): It will be a zoom training on Sat 4/20 at 6:00 pm bit.ly/zoomcosechagr
      
   2. Crowd care (no training required): Handing out water or snacks and checking on the well being of marchers
      
   3. Street Medic (previous training is required): Recognize and address minor accidents during the march.
      
   4. Drive people to and from the march from your community
      

1. Support financially the costs of the march like transportation, food, materials, etc.
   

1. 1. Write a check to Movimiento Cosecha and reach out to one of the Cosecha Michigan members. (Your contribution is tax deductible)
      
   2. Donate online  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/cosecha-michigan
      
   3. Donate food, snacks, drinks, etc at the meeting places:
      
      1. 9:00 am in GR St. Dominic’s church (50 Bellevue Ave. SW Grand Rapids, MI)
         
      2. 11:00 am at the Capitol in Lansing (100 N. Capitol Ave. Lansing, MI)