By John Bebow - February 15, 2008
Once again, only last-ditch efforts in the State Capitol keep the state government from impeding progress in the Michigan economy.
A recent ruling by Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and subsequent steps by Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land threatened threatened to leave some 400,000 workers in Michigan without the ability to legally drive.
In short, efforts to tighten driver license security and keep possible terrorists from getting legal Michigan identification cards backfired. The result would have been tens of thousands of high-wage earners — doctors, engineers, scientists and the like — from foreign lands being unable to drive to work on Michigan roads.
That's because under the Cox and Land approach, foreign workers in Michigan who had legal visas to work here are not permanent residents and weren't elligible for driver licenses.
Both chambers of the Legislature passed a measure this week to alleviate the problem and the governor is expected to sign it into law. But, much like the repeal of the much-maligned and poorly crafted services tax last fall, the solution came only after needless but definitely justified anger by large segments of the business community.
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