Milwaukee County Board Considers Plan To Create A Local ID

A local identification card would be available to people who can’t obtain a state ID under a plan that appears to moving ahead in Milwaukee County.

Advocates for the elderly, the poor, parolees, undocumented residents and the transgender community all said it can be difficult for members of those groups to get an accurate state ID. So, the advocates have been promoting the idea of having Milwaukee follow a few other U.S. cities and issue a local ID card.

Transgender community organizer Livia Rowell-Ortiz, of Voces de la Frontera, said the card would help the transgendered get and keep a job.

“Making sure they are referred to by their identity, and really legitimized and protected because it’s really difficult to acquire a job or get an interview without legitimate forms of ID,” she said.

Rauell-Ortiz said the ID would be a positive step, but wouldn’t end discrimination.

If the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors approves paying for a local ID task force, the cards could be issued by early next year.