De Blasio to Push Municipal ID Card in State of the City Speech

BY JILL COLVIN


Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to double down on one of his campaign promises during his first major speech since the inauguration: a new municipal identification card for undocumented residents.

Details of Mr. de Blasio’s first State of the City address have largely been kept quiet, but Spanish-language El Diario la Prensa reported this morning that the mayor will roll out specifics of the planned card system, which would allow undocumented New Yorkers to more easily access municipal services, such as filing police complaints, accessing municipal buildings, including libraries, and qualifying for public assistance.

Mr. de Blasio will also announce plans to work with private financial institutions so that the card can be used to open bank accounts or apply for leases, the paper said. A spokeswoman for the mayor confirmed the report’s accuracy.

City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a strong supporter of the effort, told the paper she hoped the plan would move forward later this year. In a statement, she told Politicker she has “full confidence” that “a universal ID will become a reality as soon as possible.”


http://politicker.com/2014/02/de-blasio-to-push-municipal-id-card-in-state-of-the-city-speech/