IMMIGRANT LICENSE PLATES:

Undocumented immigrants in Indiana would receive a special driver’s license if they pass an exam and buy auto insurance under a proposal a state representative said he plans to introduce.

State Rep. John Aguilera, D-East Chicago, said the licenses would not help people gain U.S. citizenship but would be more like a permit to grant driving rights to illegal immigrants, The Times of Munster reported.

“It should be framed as a public safety issue. That’s what we’re trying to impact here,” said Aguilera, the only Latino member of the Legislature and chairman of the Indiana Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.

The commission plans to present the General Assembly with the detailed report on the issue next month.

A state permit would ensure that immigrant drivers have insurance and know the rules of the road, he said. It could make them less likely to leave accident scenes, he said.

Tennessee and Utah both recently established immigrant driving permits, and Illinois considered a similar measure in 2003, but it failed. No state can issue an official license because a new federal homeland security law requires that applicants present a Social Security card to get a license.