On July 9, Maine senators voted 33-0 to thwart our governor’s veto of a bill ending automatic drivers license suspensions for people who fail to pay fines for certain violations.

These license suspensions particularly devastate low-income communities in Maine and around the country. People living in poverty come in contact with the legal system more often than the rest of the population and are disadvantaged at practically every step along the way. Each year, thousands are hooked into the system through the imposition of unaffordable court fines, and they struggle to pay off those debts when they lose the ability to drive.