Minnesota bill proposes banning teens who quit high school from getting driver licenses

[alp227]

Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Want to drive? Stay in school" (via Drudge Retort):

A bipartisan bill moving through the Legislature would deliver what backers say is tough love to keep kids in school by barring young high school dropouts from getting driver's licenses.

"Driving is not a right, it's a privilege, and it's perfectly within bounds for the state government to expect a quid pro quo when it comes to extending privileges," said bill sponsor Rep. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul. Although the state only requires students to stay in school until they are 16, it can look for leverage to keep them in school longer, he said.

If the measure were to become law, Minnesota would join at least 20 other states, including Wisconsin and Illinois, that tie driving privileges to school attendance.

It could mean thousands fewer teens getting licensed. According to the Minnesota Department of Education, more than 4,000 Minnesota high school students dropped out in 2009, a dropout rate of 5.6 percent, based on the state's four-year graduation rates.

DFL stands for Democratic-Farmer-Labor, which is Minnesota's version of the Democratic Party. Co-sponsoring the bill with Mariani is Gen Olson, a Republican from Minnetrista.

Oh, I found this 2005 DU thread about a proposed bill by a Republican in the state legislature that intended to ban midnight drinking by people who'd just turned 21.

[JonLP24]

1. What if they get their GED?

Article doesn't say. Either way, I'm against this.

[benboot]

2. Got no problem with this - non at all. NT

[Takket]

3. wow.... that's assanine

you don't need to be high school educated to know how to operate an automobile

[ingac70]

4. Doing this drove the graduation rate in TN way up. n/t

[devilgrrl]

5. How are they suppose to sign up for the military?

eom

[mike_c]

6. no problem with this at all....

eom

[stevedeshazer]

7. Bad idea.

Kids quit high school for all sorts of reasons. Lack of family support. Personal problems.

So, a kid drops out of high school to help support his/her family by going to work. Now the kid can't drive?

In that situation the kid will likely drive to work anyway, without car insurance.

What could possibly go wrong?

Look, if we want more kids to graduate from high school, how about supporting the damn schools instead of punishing young kids who may be in crappy circumstances through no fault of their own.

This kind of "tough love" bullshit is bogus. Kids don't need "tough love", they just need plain old love and support, not a punitive restriction.

I'm sorry to see Democratic support for something like this. It's the wrong approach entirely.

[MedleyMisty]

8. But I like to hate and punish people!

It's fun to be sadistic and vengeful and judgmental!

[stevedeshazer]

9. Right!

I don't know why people want to punish kids.

This is just plain mean.

:)

[provis99]

10. dandy way to ensure they can never keep a job.

What moronic creatures state legislatures have in them.

[Starry Messenger]

11. Dumb.

Lots of kids work, and the $ goes to family support.

[Rochester]

12. Bad idea

Driving is not a privilege, it is a right. After one has demonstrated the ability to drive (by passing the test), the state should not be allowed to restrict it unless one has demonstrated gross incompetence at driving and/or an inability to follow the rules related to driving (for example, by crashing a lot, getting too many tickets, or driving drunk). Failure to finish school, whether there is a good reason for it or not, is not a driving-related issue.

[Morning Dew]

13. If they want to change cumpulsory education to age 18, then fine.

Otherwise it's just punishment.