If legislators do nothing else during the session that begins next month, they must find a way to change a law that has been wreaking havoc on law-abiding citizens since it went into effect Nov. 1.
We refer, as we have more than once, to House Bill 1804 and the nightmares it has created for those getting a new driver's license or renewing one that has expired.
One of our colleagues, business reporter Ja'Rena Lunsford, wrote this week about the misery encountered as she escorted her 16-year-old brother to get his driving permit. They began their day at a Department of Public Safety office in Norman. After about an hour's wait, they tried a different location. It had fewer people waiting, but that good fortune was wiped out when Lunsford's brother got stiff-armed for not having a birth certificate.
During their first try in September, she wrote, her brother's Oklahoma ID and Social Security card were adequate examples of the requisite primary and secondary identification. But his Oklahoma ID card was issued before HB 1804 became law; only those issued on or after Nov. 1 are now considered acceptable.
Lunsford wrote in good humor, but there's nothing funny about the ridiculous ramification of this bill. Ask anyone who has inadvertently let their driver's license expire how much fun it was to get that taken care of. Legislators may not mind wasting three or four hours, or more, during a workday, but most hardworking Oklahomans do.
HB 1804 was aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants. Instead, this portion of the law is creating unnecessary burdens for people who have lived here all their lives. Coming up with a fix must be a priority for lawmakers. In the meantime, check your license, or you may regret it.
