LANSING ? Michigan legislation to allow foreign residents living legally, but temporarily, in the United States to get a driver’s license was signed into law on Friday by Governor Jennifer Granholm. An official with the Department of State said that by the middle of next week the state should be able to take applications for licenses from foreign residents.

Granholm signed HB 4505 , PA 7, and issued a statement saying the new law “sends the right message to businesses and workers from around the globe: We want you to come and do business in Michigan.”

She later told reporters the debacle over the attorney general’s opinion (she left out anything regarding the Department of State’s interpretation) “sent a terrible signal.”

Business organizations were some of the most active groups in trying to win changes to rules that were issued last month by Secretary of State Terri Land that said those persons temporarily in the state could not get a driver’s license from Michigan. Only citizens and permanent residents were so eligible, she said. And those rules were based on an opinion issued in December by Attorney General Mike Cox that held that individuals here illegally could not get a driver’s license.

The Legislature rushed through changes to HB 4505 on Thursday to resolve the issue of letting temporary residents get driver’s licenses. There had been differences between the Senate and the House over whether to enact the controversial federal Real ID measures to require more secure licenses. Those provisions, though now required, are also being disputed by a number of states.

Some 400,000 residents of the state – from refugees to college students to business executives – could be affected by the new law.

State Department officials are working to get regulations into place that will allow for branch office employees to take applications and review documentation to ensure that a person is in the state lawfully.

Kelly Chesney, spokesperson for Land, said, “We’re committed to implementing the issue as quickly as possible.” Officials hoped that by Wednesday (branch offices will be closed on Monday for Presidents’ Day) they will be able to accept applications for driver’s licenses from foreign nationals.

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