Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

Milwaukee NNSnewsMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University


Language: English English Spanish Spanish

You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / City, county approve plan to create municipal identification card

City, county approve plan to create municipal identification card

November 18, 2015 by Edgar Mendez 1 Comment

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
County Supervisor Khalif Rainey addresses supporters of the municipal ID at a recent rally at the Mitchell Park Domes. (Photo by Joe Brusky; courtesy of Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association)

County Supervisor Khalif Rainey addresses supporters of the municipal ID at a recent rally at the Mitchell Park Domes. (Photo by Joe Brusky; courtesy of Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association)

Guadalupe Romero, who lives on the South Side, knows all about the struggles associated with not having access to a state identification card.

“When I’m somewhere and they ask me to show my ID, I put my head down and put up my hands out on my side to show them I don’t have one,” Romero said.

The scene has played itself out many times over the years, she said, including the time she couldn’t pick up a morphine prescription for her brother-in-law, who had part of his foot amputated days prior.

“That time I cried,” Romero said.

Romero once had a driver’s license, but a state law that took effect in 2007 prohibited those without proper documentation from obtaining or renewing a license.

A small girl holds a sign during a rally for supporters of the municipal ID held recently at the Mitchell Park Domes. (Photo by Joe Brusky; courtesy of Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association)

A small girl holds a sign during a rally for supporters of the municipal ID held recently at the Mitchell Park Domes. (Photo by Joe Brusky; courtesy of Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association)

Although she won’t be able to get her license back, Romero will have access to a municipal ID soon, which supporters say will open the door for undocumented residents and others to access vital services and also improve public safety.

The changes come as a result of recent votes by the Milwaukee Common Council and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors to establish a work group to set guidelines for the IDs and also seek agreements from local institutions to accept them.

The city and county are splitting the $300,000 cost of the effort.

County Supervisor Khalif Rainey, who co-sponsored the legislation, said the lack of a proper ID not only prevents people from accessing medical care but also prevents them from getting gym memberships, bank accounts, library cards and other basic services that affect their quality of life.

He said creating a municipal ID also provides an opportunity for discounts at local institutions such as the library, zoo and the museum. Rainey added that municipal IDs have created similar opportunities in New York City and other places in recent years.

The new IDs will be a boon for many members of the community, said Sam Singleton, communications coordinator for Voces De La Frontera, a local immigrant rights group. Voces has been working for years to help undocumented residents obtain identification cards, touting it as a public safety issue. According to Singleton, many undocumented residents without identification are afraid to report crimes to law enforcement.

“How can you report crimes without ID and then, without one, police have the right to arrest and fingerprint you?” Singleton asked.

Many groups, including those providing services to domestic violence victims, the homeless and the LGBT community, also celebrated the decision to create a municipal ID.

Karen Gotzler, executive director of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, said in a statement,  “LGBT homeless youth, victims fleeing abusive situations, immigrants, and especially transgender people whose identity and name do not match birth records need the legitimacy that a Milwaukee ID will provide.”

County Supervisor Peggy West said the state ID program created a vicious cycle of exclusion for underrepresented groups and hopes the new cards will alleviate those problems.

“I can’t imagine trying to function in society without a proper ID,” said West, who added that basic services such as picking up certified mail, picking up prescriptions and even cashing a check require an ID.

The municipal IDs cannot be used to vote in local or national elections, according to West.

And while Romero said she’s happy that a municipal ID plan has been approved, she’s not quite ready to celebrate.

“I’ll feel much better when I have it in my hand,” Romero said.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: Carousel, Community, Home, Neighborhoods, News

About Edgar Mendez

Facebook |  Twitter | More stories from Edgar

Edgar is a senior staff reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Mendez is a proud graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where he double majored in Journalism and Sociology, and of Marquette University, where he earned a master’s degree in Communication. As an accomplished journalist, Edgar’s awards include a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow award, several press club awards and a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism.

Comments

  1. Catherine Fontanazza says

    December 1, 2015 at 7:41 pm

    Thank you, this is a step in the right direction.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Recent News

Deadline is Jan. 31 to apply for funding from Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance program

5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 27

These students don’t have to miss school to see the doctor. They can just go down the hall.

Advertisement
Give today to support our mission. Donate to Milwaukee NNS.
Advertisement

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Milwaukee NNS Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494


Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in