Assemblyman Damon Connolly has continued a tradition of our local legislator inviting constituents to come up with proposals for needed legislation.

Over past sessions, the invitation has attracted around 300 proposals each.

That level of response not only reflects a significant public interest, but shows there is plenty of room where locals see — as the invitation puts it — “There Oughta be a Law.”

This year the winning selection, which the San Rafael Democrat says he will submit in a bill, comes from San Anselmo resident Gary Newman.

Newman says there should be a change in the way the Department of Motor Vehicles issues identification cards to seniors.

The idea came from the problem he ran into at the DMV when he was trying to get a basic state-issued ID card for his 97-year-old mother-in-law, Evelyn Greenwood.

Greenwood had given up her driver’s license earlier in her 90s, but upon its expiration, she was left without an up-to-date valid ID.

Getting her an ID raised problems with navigating the DMV’s online system and having to go to the DMV in person and wait for her turn.

Greenwood’s daughter, Anne Newman, says that when she went to the DMV, there was a large number of elderly residents in the waiting room.

She and Gary thought of the idea of the DMV automatically issuing seniors a photo ID upon them “retiring” their driver’s license.

They may be asked for a photo ID for prescriptions, banking or deliveries. Passengers are asked for their photo IDs at airports.

Actually, there ought not need to be a new law, but legislation is one way to make a change, to move the slow-moving wheels of DMV’s bureaucracy moving in the right direction.

For seniors, it is a matter of retaining their independence.

They shouldn’t be worried that upon deciding it’s time that they shouldn’t be driving that they also risk losing the ID.

They shouldn’t have to figure out bureaucratic hurdles to get one.

They certainly shouldn’t be penalized by having to navigate the bureaucracy, get to a DMV office (without driving themselves) and then wait.

“I am excited to have selected a common-sense bill that will help seniors by ensuring that they still have access to a photo identification card if they give up their driver’s license,” Connolly said in his press statement.

Connolly’s invitation to his constituents and their responses are a great example of democracy in action.

Connolly should respond in kind by providing his constituents with regular up-to-date public progress reports on his legislation as it winds its way through Sacramento.

Seniors in his district shouldn’t have to figure the Legislature’s online bill-tracking site to find out where the bill stands in Sacramento’s law-making process.

Maybe he can create a direct link to the Legislature’s “Leginfo” online tracking site.

Thank you to Gary Newman for speaking out and for Assemblyman Connolly issuing the invitation.