City dwellers could be able to identify as card-carrying Baltimore residents, if a bill passes.
City Councilman Brandon Scott is moving forward with a proposal to create municipal ID cards in Baltimore. On WBAL radio’s C4 Show, Scott said the idea grew out of having a common card for students. Students have to have different cards to get access to city services like the library, rece centers and bus rides. So it’s a way to streamline the process.
Expanding the proposal to include all residents can help homeless people, immigrants, people who were incarcerated and others without official state IDs get access to services. The cards could also include a person’s self-designated gender, the bill states. Other cities, such as New York, DC, LA and San Francisco, have similar cards.
Scott told the Baltimore Sun the cards won’t be required, but they’ll encourage residents to get one. It’s also a way to show some pride.
The bill is set for a vote of the full City Council next week.
