A bill that abolishes the driving certificate program was approved unanimously by the full Senate on Wednesday afternoon.
“Today we simply corrected a mistake that we made three years ago,” said sponsor Sen. Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro).
In 2004 the program was set up to make the roads in Tennessee safer. A certificate of driving was issued if the applicant failed to provide documentation that he or she is a citizen of the United States, or documentation issued by the United States government establishing that he or she is a lawful permanent resident.
The certificate that was issued clearly stated that it was “for driving purposes only" — not valid for identification.
Sen. Ketron said, ”It quickly became apparent that the program made Tennessee a magnet for illegal aliens wanting to get drivers licenses.
“We were running into some serious problems because undocumented aliens were coming to Tennessee, getting these certificates, and then taking them to other states to receive an official drivers license. Now you have to have the proper documentation to legally drive on the roads in Tennessee.”
A similar measure passed the Senate last year, only to die in the House Transportation Committee.