If a Minnesotan fails to pay a traffic fine or appear in court for a low-level violation, they could lose their driver’s license. A change in the law is likely to bring relief to those who say the rule unfairly targets low-income people.
New rules were passed as part of a large transportation bill during the recent special session at the state capital.
It included a provision to do away with driver’s license suspension for certain situations.
Anna Odegaard, a legislative advocate for the Minnesota Asset Building Coalition, says national research links license suspensions with job loss, especially for people struggling to get by.
“So, what we see is that this license suspension creates a kind of cycle of debt and interaction with the criminal justice system,” says Odegaard.
The nonpartisan Legislative Coordinating Commission reported suspension rates are higher in BIPOC and tribal communities.
For those concerned about public safety, bill supporters say the rule remains in effect for serious violations, and unpaid tickets will still be subject to collections.
Catherine Johnson, executive director of the Inter-County Community Council, which helps fight poverty in a handful of northwestern Minnesota counties, says in rural areas, a license suspension can be especially problematic.
“Most folks don’t often work in the same community that they live,” Johnson points out. “And so, having a suspended driver’s license just enables them to not get to their job.”
Odegaard adds stopping suspensions prevents people from making the difficult choice of driving when they shouldn’t or taking a risk to maintain their income.
“Because that enables people to continue driving legally, keep their jobs, take care of their families while they work on paying off their debt to the court,” says Odegaard.
The proposal saw bipartisan support in the Legislature and the backing of a number of legal groups, including the Minnesota County Attorneys Association and Minnesota State Bar Association.
In Ontario, motorists can still face driver’s license suspensions for failing to pay a parking ticket or failing to show up in court.
(Provided by Mike Moen/Minnesota News Connection)
