The ACLU of Kansas will hold an Aug. 15 community event to kick off its effort to bring a municipal identification card program to Wyandotte County.
The event, which will feature speakers, food, music and opportunities to get involved, will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at El Centro headquarters, 650 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
A municipal ID card is a form of photo identification issued by a city or county government and can be used to prove a person’s identity within the city-county limits or to access services from any institution agreeing to accept the card.
According to a spokesman, these cards would serve the elderly, the homeless, and reentering citizens. Identification access helps ensure the dignity and well-being of a community and is often the gateway to health care, opening a checking account, or purchasing a car.
People who’ve lost vital documents in house fires, seniors without drivers’ licenses and the homeless also would have access to identification through this measure, according to the spokesman.
It could also help immigrants. Wyandotte County is the only county in the Kansas City region with a higher proportion of immigrants than the United States, the spokesman said.
Little Rock recently adopted a municipal ID measure and Philadelphia will begin issuing them in January.