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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowMarion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears on Thursday announced his support for ending debt-based driver’s license suspensions across the state, just ahead of a legislative committee meeting to discuss the issue.
Calling the issue one of “fundamental fairness” that “impacts Hoosiers in every corner of the state,” the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office in a letter stated that it stands in full support of ending debt-based driver’s license suspensions in Indiana.
“We urge the Indiana legislature to put an end to the excessive fees one must pay to secure the reinstatement of their driver’s license,” Mears said in a letter addressed to the Indiana Legislative Interim Study Committee on Roads and Transportation, which was scheduled to take up that issue and others in a Thursday meeting.
“Legislation passed in 2014 extended the harmful effects unnecessary fines have on Hoosiers through nearly doubling license reinstatement fees,” the letter reads. “The current pandemic has presented devastating consequences to Indiana families and it is our social responsibility to alleviate frivolous expenses amidst this economic crisis.”
According to the prosecutor’s office, approximately 400,000 Indiana residents have suspended driver’s licenses due to unpaid fines or fees, resulting in a cyclical poverty trap. Mears’ office stated that those who are unable to pay the fees lose their means of transportation to their jobs, complicating their ability to pay the fees necessary to reinstate their license.
The prosecutor’s office cited its Second Chance Workshop that assists constituents, manages payments on tickets, and connects them with legal aid attorneys to petition for a waiver of reinstatement fees.
“What we have also experienced is racial disparity in those who are punished with license suspensions, particularly as a result of fines and fees from common traffic violations. At our Second Chance Workshops, more than 77% of individuals who were assisted identified as Black, a figure that far exceeds the proportion of Black residents in our county,” Mears said in the letter.
It additionally noted other actions taken to combat debt-based license suspensions, including Indiana Rep. Robin Shackleford’s 2019 traffic amnesty law, allowing constituents to continue driving after paying a reduced rate on their reinstatement fees.
“Even the United States Senate is hearing S.4186, the Driving for Opportunity Act, which would provide grants to states once they submit a plan to end license reinstatement fees, creating a cost neutral scenario for the state of Indiana,” the letter says.
“Alternatives exist to aid Hoosiers in reinstating their license, but more can be done,” the letters reads. “There are still too many constituents driving with suspended licenses due to reasons unrelated to public safety. We cannot continue to charge excessive fees for one of the most basic tools to escape the cycle of poverty.”
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