Hispanic Chamber calls on NJ to expand licenses

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (SHCCNJ) again released a letter to New Jersey leadership urging for prioritization of legislation to expand access to driver’s licenses to more residents, regardless of immigration status.

The SHCCNJ represents more than 120,000 Hispanic owned businesses across the state. Expanding access to driver’s licenses is expected to increase residents’ mobility and spending power as customers of local businesses.

The letter to state leadership addresses the benefits of expanding access to driver’s licenses to all qualified residents and how it will increase consumer purchasing power, increase state revenue, and allow more residents to participate fully in civic and economic life. Currently, New Jersey’s Hispanic immigrant households’ spending power is estimated to be $13.8 billion, the sixth-highest in the nation. This spending power would increase in local and state economies with improved access to driver’s licenses for all qualified residents,

Once the measure is fully implemented, the state is expected to see an increase of $90 million in revenue annually registration fees, the gas tax, and the sales tax from auto-related purchases.

The Let’s Drive NJ campaign is supported by a diverse array of organizations and community leaders across the state. More information about the campaign can be found at LetsDriveNJ.org.