Florida Republicans are pushing a proposal that would require the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to verify citizenship, mark voters as “unverified” if they can’t, and require certain documents.
Supporters of Florida’s HB 991 and SB 1334 say they want the legislation to tighten voter registration requirements by requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to target potential non-citizen voters.
But groups like the ACLU of Florida and the Florida Democratic Party continue to use the race card as a tool to oppose the bill.
“This is a voter suppression bill, and it’s a total blocker,” said Keisha Malfort, deputy director of communications for the ACLU of Florida.
“The Florida Democratic Party is alarmed by the assault on voting freedoms currently being passed in the Legislature,” read a press release from state Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried.
“The people who will be hurt the most by this bill will be seniors, students, married women, working families, and naturalized citizens, not because they have done anything wrong, but because Republicans fear the will of voters,” Fried said.
The Florida Immigration Coalition ran a headline that read, “HB 991 and SB 1334, which require citizenship labels on Florida IDs, are a serious danger to the civil liberties of Floridians.”
In response to the bill, Florida Immigration Cullision said, “(It) would require branding of an individual’s citizenship status on Florida identification cards and driver’s licenses.”
Renata Bozzetto, the group’s division director, said if passed, state-issued ID policies regarding whether a person is a U.S. citizen would weaponize state IDs.
“The use of citizenship labels creates a ranking system that leads to unequal treatment. State-issued identification cards are intended to confirm identity and driving privileges, and do not serve as official classification or immigration tools,” Bozzetto said.
Talk Radio and Florida Daily legal commentator Ron Davis chuckled when he heard opponents argue that voter ID would do more harm than good.
“What the left is saying is ridiculous,” Davis said. “How can we live and get by without proper identification? Someone please tell me. Everyone who wants to go to school, drive a car, shop, do banking, even those receiving government assistance must present a valid ID.”
