Lawmaker hopes to keep people from losing licenses

A Memphis-area Democratic lawmaker is hoping to clear up an issue that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans having their driver’s licenses suspended.

Last week Rep. Larry Miller filed a bill aimed at helping those who cannot afford to pay court costs.

A pair of landmark court rulings in 2018 found the state’s license suspension policies unconstitutional. Ruling in two separate cases, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger said the state could no longer suspend licenses for unpaid court fees or traffic fines if the driver was unable to pay.

Attorneys in the cases said the rulings could affect hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans.

State attorneys are appealing Trauger’s rulings, but the Department of Safety and Homeland Security is following the judge’s instructions and is no longer suspending licenses if drivers can prove they can’t afford to pay court or traffic fees.

As written, Miller’s legislation would look to create a way to provide some Tennesseans with economic hardships an exemption from having their driver’s license suspended.

This week Miller said in an interview that he was still trying to determine the scope of the issue and the best way to rectify it. He said the legislation likely will change in the coming months.

“The idea behind it is to look at this and see if we can work it to the point where it doesn’t create an economic hardship for a person whose license has been suspended,” Miller said.

Miller said he met with the Department of Safety on Monday,