WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The City of Wichita could soon have its own form of identification. The city council voted to approve the authorization of the ID, eliminating fees, changing its name to the City of Wichita Municipal ID, and adding "not valid for voting."
The municipal ID would be availa
ble to anyone. However, it's more targeted toward the unhoused. It would allow them to access more services, and city council members say it could also help prevent them from being lost in the system. A municipal ID card would help people who lack easy access to documents like birth certificates or Social Security cards.
"We've been working on it in the city council for about three years, and we heard need in our community that people need access to IDs," Wichita City Council member Becky Tuttle said.
Justice Together is a coalition of nonprofits in Wichita that advocates for municipal IDs, specifically to benefit the unhoused.
"That will allow folks to have the identification to get services in the community in their city and be I-9 eligible for work," Deann Smith, a member of Justice Together, said.
It can also help ensure that people who are homeless have proper access to housing and city-provided wraparound services.
"It's gonna help us be able to track and just make sure everyone is doing what they need to do as far as the work plans that we set up to get them back on their feet," Wichita City Council member Mike Hoheisel said.
He says that includes ensuring unhoused people make it to therapy and doctor's appointments.
Municipal IDs would only be recognized within Wichita city limits. They would not be state IDs, so they cannot be used as voter IDs.
Justice Together says they hope the county takes on a similar form of identification, but that hasn't been discussed.
You can find the agenda report here. ...read more read less
