LANSING – U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff congratulated the Michigan Legislature, Governor Jennifer Granholm and Secretary of State Terri Land for bolstering “security through secure identification,” as the Legislature wrapped up its work on bills dealing with Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
Land is asking the federal government to allow the enhanced driver’s license and personal identification cards to be used to meet the initiative’s requirements, which allows Michigan residents to travel Mexico and Canada without a passport.
The House concurred in Senate changes to HB 5535 , and the Senate concurred in changes to SB 966 and SB 654 on Thursday. The bills also finalize legislative work to allow people legally, but temporarily, living in Michigan to obtain a state identification card, which is an offshoot of work the Legislature did on ensuring drivers licenses were issued in the same manner. See related GongwerNews
story.
“I applaud the Michigan Legislature, Governor Granholm and Secretary Land for partnering with us to bolster security through secure identification. As individuals, our identity is our most personal asset. Secure identification is key to protecting our citizens and visitors from identity theft, and securing our borders in a smart and efficient way,” Chertoff said. Land also thanked lawmakers for working together on the issue.
“An enhanced driver’s license will help protect the security of our state and nation. It will also more smoothly merge federal border ID requirements with trade and tourism between Michigan and Canada, which averages more than a billion dollars a week,” she said.
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