Driver's Licenses For All, Voting Rights Restoration Bills Clear Final Hurdle; Walz Will Sign

By Grace Deng, Minnesota Reformer:

Minnesota House lawmakers on Thursday voted to concur with the Senate on a bill to give undocumented residents driver’s licenses and a bill to allow people still on parole or probation to vote.

The driver’s licenses bill (HF4), known as “Driver’s Licenses for All,” would impact the estimated 81,000 undocumented immigrants who live in Minnesota — as well as their families, particularly children who rely on their parents to get around. Gov. Tim Walz is expected to sign the bill soon.

Passing HF28, known as “Restore the Vote,” will restore the right to vote for more than 50,000 Minnesotans. Gov. Tim Walz will sign the bill Friday.

Both bills are part of a wave of legislation already passed into law just two months into the legislative session. Democratic majorities in the House and Senate also won Walz signatures on climate change, abortion rights and tax legislation.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..