KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM/FM) — On a straight line party vote, Democrats on the Kalamazoo County Commission have approved the creation of a Kalamazoo County identification card program.
The vote followed comments from three-dozen citizens who spoke in support of the program and two who spoke against it.
The program will provide a picture ID to people who can’t qualify or aren’t eligible for a driver’s license or state ID. That’s estimated to be as many as 27,000 people in Kalamazoo County.
That includes some seniors, newly-released inmates, the disabled and mentally ill, and some undocumented aliens.
It will give them access to libraries, some financial institutions, county programs, medical facilities, bars and other places where photo ID is required.
Commissioners who supported it called it a “no-brainer,” those who voted against it said it either went too far or not far enough.
It’s will cost about $60,000 in the first year, which will include purchasing the equipment for making the cards. They hope to be able to start issuing cards in about six months.
Kalamazoo’s local ID program will be the third in the state and the 17th nationwide.
