Being able to drive a car is a necessity for most people. Without a driver's license, it’s hard to hold down a job, get to school and doctors’ appointments or provide essential care to children. Yet in recent years, thousands of Louisiana drivers have had their licenses suspended by the Office of Motor Vehicles because they are unable to pay ballooning fees and fines related to violations that often have nothing to do with their driving record. We’re glad to see that is about to change.
House Bill 683, passed unanimously by the Legislature and awaiting Gov. Jeff Landry’s signature, gives the OMV the authority to lower fees and help get drivers back on the road legally. It will help tens of thousands of Louisianans dig out from OMV debt and get their licenses reinstated.
Proposed by conservative Republican Chuck Owen of Rosepine, the bill is also being hailed by left-leaning activists. Peter Robins-Brown, head of the nonprofit Louisiana Progress, told our reporter Meghan Friedmann that it is the piece of legislation passed this year that has the potential to change the lives of Louisianans the most.
That’s no exaggeration. According to OMV head Dan Casey, the agency has $470 million in unpaid debt on its books. Much of that is due to fines for lapses in insurance. The $125 fine for that violation can begin a vicious cycle. If the fine is not paid in 90 days or if the driver can’t get on a payment plan, the debt is transferred to the Office of Debt Recovery, where it is then set to the maximum penalty of $500, plus tacked-on fees. Soon, drivers find themselves in an untenable situation: pay their premiums to keep their insurance current or pay the state to avoid having their license suspended.
These fees and fines are the kind of policies that serve to trap people in poverty, and many states are rethinking them.
The new system would allow OMV to claw back debt from the ODR and reset drivers’ penalties to the original amounts. It would also place a cap on how much drivers can owe. We think that’s reasonable. The penalties are there to make sure drivers take their responsibilities seriously, not to create an underclass of unlicensed drivers. But that's what's happened. Casey estimates nearly half a million drivers on our roads are driving with their licenses suspended.
The OMV has faced harsh criticism in recent years for a host of problems, including poor customer service. When Landry appointed auto industry lobbyist Casey and his second-in-command Austin Badon, a former state representative, to lead the OMV, the governor said he wanted to improve efficiency and make the agency more responsive to consumers. If this is indicative of the direction they are heading, we are encouraged that the OMV might finally be on the right path.