Politics & Government

Knotts Seeks Vets Designation on Drivers Licenses

The bill that the Lexington senator is sponsoring would make South Carolina the ninth state to offer such special licenses for military veterans.

S.C. Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, is sponsoring a bill that would enable honorably discharged military veterans to get a special designation affixed on their drivers license, according to this Associated Press report.

In addition to the honor of it, the official recognition would also enable vets to prove their status, making it easier for them to take advantage of discounts on goods and services offered to vets, said Knotts, who is a Vietnam-era Navy veteran.

"I think veterans need to have some recognition for the job they've done and their service to our country," Knotts told the AP. "And businesses may not know who is a veteran or who isn't. This makes it clear."

Democratic Sen. Phil Leventis, of Sumter, is also a veteran and whose wife served as a nurse in Vietnam, but he fretted to the AP that with more than 400,000 military veterans in the state, the change could add to significant wait times at DMV offices.

"I'm very appreciative of military service, but I think we also ought to think carefully about emphasizing only one facet of what builds our nation. What about giving the recognition to teachers?" Leventis told the AP.


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