New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed a new bill into law that allows the state to suspend people’s driver’s license if they owe $10,000 or more in state income taxes.
“Our message is simple: tax scofflaws who don’t abide by the same rules as everyone else are not entitled to the same privileges as everyone else,” Governor Cuomo said in a press release .
A summary of the new law can be downloaded as a PDF file here .
Libertarians, such as David Brunori, seem to think that the new law is a good idea.
"Getting a license is a privilege. It's not messing around with a constitutional right," Brunori told MSN Money .
Massachusetts, California, and Louisiana have similar laws on the books.
Louisiana’s laws may be the strictest in the nation because the suspension begins if people owe $1,000 in taxes.
California tries to shame people into paying their taxes by publishing a list of people who owe a significant amount of state taxes twice a year, and state law prohibits state offices from conducting business with people who have outstanding tax bills.
New Yorkers who are unable to pay their back taxes in full can make a payment arrangement with the state. Drivers can apply for a restricted license if they need one to get to work, CNN reports.
The Tax Department can be reached at (518) 862-6000.