From Deseret News archives:
Majority of undocumented immigrants with driver cards insured
The audit found 2,641 of a sample of 3,641 driving privilege card holders were insured. The insurance rate of 76 percent compares to 82 percent for driver license holders.
The cards were created in 2005, as an alternative to allowing undocumented immigrants to hold driver licenses after an audit at the time found fraud in the system, including multiple licenses matched to a single address. Since then, the audit says the law that created the cards and tightened proof of residency requirements "appears to be having a significant impact" on the fraud issues.
"We ran a similar test on the current DP cards to determine whether multiple cards were being issued to a single address," the audit says. "Current data shows no instances where large number of cards were issued to the same address."
There are currently 34,799 current valid driving privilege cards. The insurance rate marks a 1 percent increase over a similar audit conducted last year.
The audit used data from the state's Driver License Division and electronic matching from Insure-Rite, an insurance verification company. It comes at a time when lawmakers are set to consider options including repealing the cards or revising them.
Critics have said the cards are being used as identification cards, against the intent of legislators.
Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, is drafting a bill to prohibit the card from being used as age identification, so it could no longer be used for purposes such as buying beer. Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, is sponsoring HB 239 to repeal the cards and HB 26 to prevent notary publics from using them for identification. That bill is on the calendar for today's House Judiciary Committee meeting. Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, has also said that a repeal of the cards will be in a comprehensive illegal immigration bill he's drafting.
E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com
