Judiciary Hears Testimony on Bill to End Automatic Driver’s License Suspensions

April 12, 2017 9:15 am

Augusta – The Judiciary Committee hears testimony today, April 12, at 9:00 a.m. on LD 1190, "An Act Regarding Driver's License Suspensions for Nondriving-related Violations." The bill will end the practice of automatically suspending an individual’s driver’s license when they miss a fine payment for a non-driving related violation.

LD 1190 has broad bipartisan sponsorship, including lead sponsor Rep. Moonen (D-Portland), Sen. Diamond (D-Cumberland), Sen. Katz (R-Augusta), Sen. Keim (R-Oxford), Sen. Whittemore (R-Somerset), Rep. Hickman (D-Winthrop), Rep. Kinney (R-Limington), Rep. McLean (D-Gorham), Rep. Warren (D-Hallowell) and Rep. Winsor (R-Norway).

The following can be attributed to Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland), the lead sponsor of LD 1190:

“Possessing a driver’s license should depend on being a safe driver, not on having a lot of money. Suspending an individual’s driver’s license because he or she can’t afford to pay a fine will only make it harder to do so. The punishment should fit the crime, and in this case the punishment makes no sense at all.”

The following can be attributed to Oamshri Amarasingham, advocacy director at the ACLU of Maine:

"LD 1190 will make it more likely that defendants will pay their court fines. It will allow defendants to keep their livelihoods by keeping their licenses. And it will make the criminal justice system more fair. Passing LD 1190 is the right thing for Maine."

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