Car Insurance Mandate in Wisconsin Budget; No Driver's Card for Illegals
Wisconsin drivers would have to buy liability insurance for their vehicles but illegal immigrants would not be issued special cards so they could drive legally on the state's roads under the state budget poised to pass the Legislature.
The new requirement for auto insurance has been proposed since the 1970s, but always blocked by the insurance industry. Gov. Jim Doyle has expressed his support for it.
Sen. John Lehman, a Democrat from Racine, has proposed the mandate ever since 2001. He says people want it, especially those who have been hit by uninsured drivers.
New Hampshire is the only other state that does not require the insurance. The Wisconsin requirement would take effect in a year.
Anyone pulled over who doesn't have an insurance card would be subject to a $10 fine.
The driver's card for illegal immigrants was a divisive issue. Police and immigrant rights groups lobbied for the cards, arguing they would make the roads safer by ensuring even those who aren't citizens have identification and can buy insurance. But Doyle didn't propose the idea and the Senate rejected it in its budget. Only Utah has a similar card.
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