A common sense bill
Thursday, Mar 20, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Not having a driver’s license because the coppers have taken it has become a major problem in the post 9/11 world. It’s happened to me and so either I’ve had to either hope that my FOID card was acceptable identification (it’s not in many places) or carry my passport around. Getting a state ID is an option, I suppose, but I don’t have a lot of time for such things. So, this ought to pass…
* From the bill’s synopsis…
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Repeals the Section concerning license as bail. Provides that residents of this State and residents of any other state which is a member of the Nonresident Violator Compact of 1977 who are cited by a police officer for violating a traffic law or ordinance shall have the option of (1) being taken without unnecessary delay before a court of jurisdiction or (2) executing a written promise to comply with the terms of the citation by signing at least one copy of a Uniform Traffic Ticket prepared by the police officer. Provides that the Secretary of State shall suspend the driving privileges of a resident who fails to comply with the executed written promise to comply with the original terms of the citation until the Secretary receives notification by the court of jurisdiction that the person has appeared or otherwise executed the written promise to comply with the terms of the original citation. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Removes a provision allowing the Supreme Court to include deposit of a chauffeur’s or operator’s license in the bail schedule for traffic cases. Makes corresponding changes in other portions of the Code.
- crow04 - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 11:44 am:
Long, long overdue. The worst was before I had gray and was still a smoker and had a heck of time buying cigarettes when driving on a ticket
- Dan Johnson - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 11:46 am:
Looking good to pass. Couple of technical improvements to be done (my first draft put this in a part of the ILCS for an interstate compact since we’ve allowed non-residents to sign and drive for decades, and the SOS thinks it ought to be elsewhere in the ILCS) and thankfully the Illinois Association of Circuit Court Clerks is now fully engaged in working this bill. Came out of committee unanimously pending a few fixes.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 11:51 am:
Makes total sense. No need to take the physical license when the records will show if it valid or not.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 11:55 am:
About time! In this computer age, taking physical possession of the actual license is so unnecessary!
- tubbfan - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 12:06 pm:
Just an FYI (and I know its not a complete solution), but AAA-Chicago Motor Club cards can be forfeited for moving violations in lieu of a drivers license.
- OneMan - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 12:08 pm:
Agree always seemed a bit daft to me.
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 12:19 pm:
I would go further.
If a police department takes a drivers license, it obligates them to make a state ID and deliver to your home in 48 hours. Their expense.
I’ll bet law enforcement still happens.
- Kerfuffle - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 12:50 pm:
If you fly at all the current system is a pain - especially if you have to rent a car once you get to the place you are headed.
- sonny - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 1:42 pm:
OT did you hear about Rep Andre Thapedi’s meltdown in committee yesterday? Apparently, he had an environmental bill that the Chairperson didn’t want to let out of committee. He threw an embarrassing tantrum. I heard from many lobbyists that they were shocked/confused.
- Ken_in_Aurora - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 1:48 pm:
Overdue for this change- it’s the main reason I also have a state ID card. I do miss the old staple holes a little… not.
- Trooper - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 2:06 pm:
Dan, will this also change the bail in DUI and other related offenses? Currently for a DUI the offender can post their DL+$100 cash or $300.
- IbendahlLuvsJBT - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 2:15 pm:
Staple holes. A scarlet letter.
Can they staple through the new ones?
Yes, get a AAA card. Worth it!
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 3:07 pm:
Carl Nyberg,
A good suggestion on its face, but I suspect cops would LOVE being required to deliver a state ID within 48 hours after confiscating a license. Can you imagine the overtime bills? “What did you do today, Barney?” “Well, I worked radar for four hours, then I drove to Cairo to deliver an ID card to a guy I pulled over on Tuesday. Tomorrow, I’m going to Indianapolis.” The practice of confiscating licenses for speeding tickets is so freaking stupid it could only happen in a state like Illinois. It’s discretionary and has never happened to me. I bet a lot of it depends on who you are and how you act. Look sideways at a cop or keep your license next to your ACLU membership card where the cop can see it and it gets taken.
- 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 5:04 pm:
Agreed that this is completely overdue. When husband and I moved her for an already (then) more sensible state, husband had no idea what the police officer was referring to when he was stopped and the officer said “Do you have a bond card?” and took his license. I got a ticket the day before I was leaving for an overseas trip where I was renting a car and the officer said, “well you can drive on your ticket.” I had to resort to tears before the officer would agree to drive to the station to allow me to post a cash bond since the Irish rental car company wouldn’t have let me rent a car on my ticket there. AAA solves the problem but this is better.
- 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 5:05 pm:
Meant: “when we moved here from..”
- Allen Skillicorn - Thursday, Mar 20, 14 @ 5:40 pm:
No problem with the bill, but there’s nothing stopping people from asking the officer to release them without taking their license currently. Most will comply if nicely asked.
This does remind of when Noland was illegally electioneering inside a polling place in Carpentersville and the judges called the police. Noland was driving on a ticket and didn’t have a photo ID on his person.
- Just The Way It Is One - Friday, Mar 21, 14 @ 2:12 am:
Super idea! Why hasn’t some other Legislator cooked up this idea LONG ago?! I guess sometimes it just takes time + the Right Person, in this case Mr. Noland, to catch up to good ‘ol fashioned Common Sense and figure out that’s all we really need as the Law half the time anyway–instead of unnecessary hassles…!