Assembly panel OKs bill allowing consular identification

State and local governments could accept Mexican consular identification cards as a substitute for a state ID, under a bill approved Friday by the Assembly Government Affairs Committee.

The cards, known as matriculas consulares, cost $29 and are issued by consulates and embassies to Mexican citizens living in foreign countries. While they've been around for years nationwide, Mexican consular officials recently have been promoting them.

SB312 permits governments to accept the cards, but doesn't require it. The committee also amended the bill to specify the cards can't be used to obtain state identification.

While the IDs are issued to legal immigrants, they also are issued to illegal immigrants, which caused some heated discussion before the committee's 8-5 vote for the bill.

Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, said he's troubled by the idea of validating an illegal immigrant's status. He said he would rather see legislative efforts to encouraging immigrants to become citizens.

"The United States has a history of greatness based off citizenship," Williams said.

About 23,000 people have applied for the cards in Las Vegas since the Mexican consulate opened there in February 2002. Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Bank of America and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department have since decided to accept the cards as a legitimate form of identification.