SAINT PAUL – Today, the Minnesota County Attorneys Association (MCAA) announced its support of HF 1061, legislation to prohibit driver’s license suspensions as a result of unpaid traffic tickets. The MCCA joins a wide array of organizations in support of the bill, including the Minnesota Asset Building Coalition, the Justice Action Network, the Minneapolis and Saint Paul city attorneys’ offices, the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, ACLU of Minnesota, the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, the State Public Defender, and others.
Rep. John Lesch (DFL – Saint Paul), the legislation’s chief author in the Minnesota House, issued the following statement:
“I want to express my deep appreciation to the Minnesota County Attorneys Association for voting to support legislation that would end driver’s license suspensions for unpaid traffic tickets. I’ve sponsored this legislation since 2018, but the issue has taken on new urgency with the COVID-19 crisis. Over 80,000 Minnesotans currently have their driver’s license suspended for unpaid traffic tickets, leaving them reliant on public transportation or carpooling for essential travel. It’s common sense that maintaining social distancing is a challenge on public transportation, and that the use of personal vehicles reduces the risk of contagion for riders and transit works alike. Additionally, most people who struggle to pay court-related debt are living paycheck to paycheck, and losing their driver’s license creates an even greater financial hardship. Some are essential employees and provide the only income for their families. We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic is both a public health crisis and an economic one. I thank the MCAA for recognizing that driver’s license suspensions should be used for the limited purpose of ensuring safe roads, not for coercing payment from people who may be struggling to meet their family’s basic needs, and further, that this legislation helps Minnesotans get to work and support their families while staying healthy."
