State Rep. Joe Sanfelippo
Press Release

Top 5 false claims made by local ID supporters

Voces de la Frontera apparently can’t handle the truth.

By - Feb 18th, 2016 10:12 am

MADISON, Wis. – Voces de la Frontera apparently can’t handle the truth.

The Milwaukee-based advocacy group has spent the past several weeks spreading misinformation to try to derail a bill authored by Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, and Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, that regulates the production and use of local photo identification cards.

But there is only one problem: facts are getting in the way. Listed below are the top five false claims made by Voces de la Frontera on the legislation, which passed both the state Assembly and Senate this week, followed by the verifiable truth.

CLAIM: Senate Bill 533 prevents the city and county of Milwaukee from issuing local ID cards to their residents.

FACT: The legislation does not prohibit cities or villages from creating and distributing municipal IDs. All the bill does is lay out the ground rules for issuance and use. The cards have to clearly state they cannot be used for voting.

CLAIM: This bill is an escalated attack on local control.

FACT: Local control does not apply here because counties and towns are extensions of state government. Unlike cities and villages, counties and towns do not have home rule authority. Again, cities and villages can still issue local IDs.

CLAIM: Cardholders will be able to use the municipal IDs for such things as gaining employment, opening a bank account and acquiring a library card.

FACT: A local ID would only satisfy one documentation requirement for applying for a job. There is also no guarantee private institutions and libraries will accept municipal ID cards.

CLAIM: Local IDs are needed to purchase prescription medication.

FACT: Under Wisconsin law, presenting a photo ID is not required when picking up most prescriptions. IDs are only necessary for Schedule II and III drugs, and municipal IDs are not an acceptable form of identification in those instances.

CLAIM: Municipal ID cards will help residents obtain basic services and make their lives easier.

FACT: Because local IDs do not accomplish the things Voces de la Frontera say they will, the cards will cause confusion and give false hope to many individuals.

“Voces de la Frontera blatantly spreading false information on municipal IDs doesn’t come as a surprise since the group has a history of pulling stunts like this rather than actually helping people or telling them the facts,” Sanfelippo said. “It’s sad that Voces and some elected officials find it acceptable to mislead these poor individuals and use them as pawns just to push their own political agenda.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

Mentioned in This Press Release

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3 thoughts on “Top 5 false claims made by local ID supporters”

  1. Steve says:

    Joe, you are a liar and manipulator. You might as well say on the card that this ID is totally useless, which would be far closer to the truth. You and all republicans are trying to limit, if not eliminate, voting from anyone who may or does vote other than republican. Why can’t you allow all Americans the opportunity to vote. You stopped me for 3 years … and that was the worst thing you could have done.

  2. AG says:

    Steve, how did anyone stop you from voting?

  3. Vincent Hanna says:

    Yes AG as long as you personally have to trouble voting that proves it isn’t an issue for anyone anywhere else in the United States. The myopia of the privileged. It’s something you demonstrate regularly.

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