Identification cards that don't say whether you're a man or woman?
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation today that would have allowed counties to issue official identification cards that did not identify either the owner's address or gender.
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, had proposed the measure as a way to assist undocumented immigrants who lack adequate documentation to qualify for a state-issued ID card, and to help transgender individuals who feel uncomfortable having a gender listed.
Under the bill, applicants could have used a U.S. or foreign passport, an out-of-state driver's license, a permanent residency card, a consular identification card, or various other documents to qualify for a county-issued ID card.
Assembly Bill 1451 would have allowed counties to charge up to $15 for ID cards issued to adults, and up to $5 for cards issued to minors. The measure would have banned county clerks from keeping records of applicants' addresses or disclosing any other identifying information.
Critics said the counties' failure to keep records of addresses could have made it more difficult to determine legitimate ID cards from counterfeits.
Schwarzenegger, who vetoed similar legislation last year, said in his veto message that until the federal government "adopts comprehensive immigration reform, it is inappropriate to move forward with state law in this area."
Latest posts:
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.