Georgia’s most violent felons are a step closer to carrying a special mark to identify them on their driver’s licenses and other state ID cards.
The Georgia House voted 97-46 Thursday to add some sort of designation on the IDs of those convicted of seven violent felonies: murder, kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation and aggravated sexual battery.
House Bill 91 calls for the mark to remain only as long as the person is on probation or parole. When that ends, the person can apply for a traditional license.
Rep. Timothy Bearden, the chairman of the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and sponsor of the bill, said the measure is a public safety issue.
“With this, if someone is convicted of the seven deadly sins, we will know. Law enforcement will know,” the Villa Rica Republican said.
The bill leaves it up to state agencies to decide how they will create the mark -- such as with a number or letter on IDs -- but also does not require that information be kept private.
Critics contend that lack of privacy could create constitutional questions when felons use the marked licenses for services such as renting a car or cashing a check.
“My concern is that people seeking lawful services can be discriminated against,” said Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, D-Atlanta.
The bill now goes to the Senate for review.
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