Michigan’s driver responsibility fees are an unfair double penalty that makes it difficult for many residents who have made a mistake to regain their license and get back to work.

I was proud to support Senate legislation to finally get rid of these over-the-top fees and give relief to thousands of Michigan residents struggling to provide for their families.

Senate Bills 609-615 and 624-625 would eliminate assessment of new DRFs as of Oct. 1, 2018 and forgive any outstanding DRFs older than six years on a rolling basis.

The bills would also enable drivers who cannot pay their fees to get their license back immediately and pay the DRFs through community service or a workforce training program.

I previously supported a reform to phase out the fees. However, this takes it a step further.

Driver responsibility fees unfairly punish Michigan drivers for violations that have already been penalized. The result has been an enormous negative impact on working families and our economy.

Many southwest Michigan residents lost their driver’s license and often their job because they could not afford to pay the fees. Now, growing Michigan businesses are being impacted because the fees are artificially limiting the availability of skilled workers.

In addition to hurting workers and employers, the vast majority of the fees owed in Michigan will never be collected because low-income drivers will never be able to pay them.

It is time to turn the page on this chapter of the Granholm era and help affected workers get back to helping build our economy.

I look forward to working with my House colleagues and the governor to find a solution that ends this counterproductive program and provides relief and options to drivers with outstanding fees. It is the right thing to do.

Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph, represents southwest Michigan.