ATLANTA – A proposal to stamp “noncitizen” on nearly 230,000 IDs was removed from a House bill proposing other changes to Georgia driver’s licenses.

That bill, sponsored by Rep. Amy Carter, R-Valdosta, would authorize the Department of Driver Services to tap collection agencies to go after out-of-state drivers who owe super speeder fees. About $18 million is owed the state, Carter said last week.

Carter’s bill also allows people to keep their old license, as long as it’s marked as voided.

Her bill sailed through the House of Representatives Friday, after it was unsaddled by the controversial measure proposed by Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell.

Carter said that she asked her north Georgia colleague to remove the amendment and file his own bill, which he has done. His bill is awaiting action in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, which he chairs.

 “I wanted a clean bill,” Carter said of the measure she is carrying for the state agency.

There’s also another proposal in the Senate, proposed by Sen. Frank Ginn, R-Danielsville, that would require noncitizens to have vertical licenses.

The department issued 229,932 licenses last year to people who are not U.S. citizens but who are authorized to be here, according to Mike Mitchell, director of governmental affairs and public information for the department.

Rep. Jason Ridley, R-Chatsworth, is a co-sponsor of Powell’s bill. A member of the House Motor Vehicles Committee, Ridley also supported tacking the measure onto Carter’s bill.

 He said Friday that he didn’t see the big deal.

Right now, these licenses say “limited term” – a phrase with an unclear meaning, he said.

“We’re not trying to label anybody. We’re not trying to discriminate. We’re just trying to make it plain English where everybody understands,” Ridley said.

That matters, he said, because licenses are used when voting. It would also help alert law enforcement that there may be a language barrier, for example, when interacting with someone.