(WXYZ) — New proposed legislation would reduce long lines at Secretary of State offices across Michigan.
House Bill 5171 would designate Michigan financial institutions as eligible to provide Secretary of State certain driver-related functions.
"If you look at the economic effect of the long lines at the Michigan SOS offices, it is like we already have passed a 5 cent per gallon gas tax," said HB5171 sponsor Rep. Matt Maddock in a press release. "It does not have to be this way. Services that taxpayers need, due to our own state regulations, should be provided quickly, and either online or at a location convenient.”
The legislation has 21 Michigan House co-sponsors.
“Taxpayers routinely do their banking, order food or buy merchandise by simply using their cell phone. They do these things 24 hours a day and seven days a week.”
“Yet when dealing with their own state government, our citizens must often go to an inconvenient location, make an appointment weeks in advance, or stand in a long line---lines that only have gotten longer lately. And they usually can only stand in line between 9 and 5 from Monday through Friday. Government shouldn't be this painful,” said Maddock.
