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.
Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, says one of the main goals is to help verify the citizenship of voters. It’s illegal for noncitizens to vote in U.S. elections, 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 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.
Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, voted against the bill. She says it could lead to discrimination against noncitizens when they use their ID for things other than voting.