PogoWasRight - REAL ID

MN: Senate passes bill rejecting federal ID program

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:57:10 -0400

A bill barring Minnesota's commissioner of public safety from taking any steps to implement the federal Real ID Act cleared the state Senate today on a 50-16 vote.

The bill, which Gov. Tim Pawlenty opposes, now goes to the House. Earlier this session, Pawlenty vetoed a major transportation policy bill because it contained a provision preventing the state from complying with the act.

Source - TwinCities.com

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State Real ID rebellion: Here to stay?

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:43:13 -0400

Politicians from states opposed to the U.S. government's Real ID plan had one message on Wednesday: It's not too late to turn this ship around.

Mark Sanford, the Republican governor of South Carolina, and Jon Tester, a Democratic U.S. senator from Montana, on Wednesday delivered a now-familiar bruising to the controversial national driver's license standards, which they criticized as an unfunded mandate that passed with no formal debate in Congress, posing threats to U.S. citizens' privacy and states' authority.

Source - C|net blog

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Another victory for the anti-Real ID rebels

Thu, 08 May 2008 07:00:16 -0400

The anti-Real ID movement just took a big step forward, with the Arizona Senate�s 21-7 vote to bar implementation of Real ID in Arizona. The bill (H.B. 2677) still has to go back to the Arizona House for another vote and then on to Governor Janet Napolitano for her signature. But as of this writing, Arizona is poised to join the growing number of states who have recognized that Real ID is an expensive and unworkable invasion of our privacy.

Source - ACLU, on DailyKos

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AZ: Bill barring state from new U.S. ID plan gets initial OK

Fri, 02 May 2008 06:40:58 -0400

The prospect of a more secure form of identification, known as Real ID, is facing a real threat of extinction in Arizona.

The state Senate, on a voice vote, gave preliminary approval to a bill that would bar the state from taking part in the federally mandated Real ID program.

The program would create a uniform standard for drivers' licenses and personal-identification cards, including proof of U.S. citizenship or legal status.

Source - Arizona Republic

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Senators, states beat up on Real ID plans

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:51:17 -0400

Democratic and Republican senators alike on Tuesday once again piled criticism upon forthcoming Real ID requirements, with some renewing calls to repeal the law for which many of them voted years ago.

It's a familiar refrain for the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, whose members made similar remarks at a hearing around this time last year.

Source - C|net

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NCSL Calls for Repeal of REAL ID

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:38:41 -0400

The National Conference of State Legislatures wants the REAL ID Act gone. It supports S. 717, the Identification Security Enhancement Act of 2007, which would repeal the REAL ID Act and reinstitute a negotiated rulemaking process on identity security that was established in the 9/11-Commission-inspired Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act.

Source - The Technology Liberation Front

Related - NCSL Letter of April 4

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MN: Privacy, price stall license security bill

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:30:28 -0400

Minnesotans could not use their driver's licenses to board airplanes or enter federal buildings after next year unless Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Minnesota Legislature settle a dispute over how to comply with a new federal requirement to make state-issued IDs more secure.

Pawlenty has threatened to veto a major transportation policy bill because it includes language that would hamper the state's ability to comply with the Real ID Act, a federal law intended to prevent terrorists and illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses.

Source - TwinCities.com

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Maine governor signs bill tightening drivers license rules

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:57:05 -0400

Gov. John Baldacci signed into law a bill to tighten standards for getting a Maine driver's license, acknowledging that the measures were a tough issue for lawmakers.

Under pressure for the federal government, Baldacci wasted little time before signing the bill Thursday night after the Senate approved it by a 19-15 vote despite criticism from civil libertarians.

Source - auburnpub.com

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Maine UPDATE: House passes Real ID bill

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:18:46 -0400

The Maine House of Representatives this afternoon gave final approval to a bill that would require the state to tighten up its procedures for issuing driver's licenses and identification cards.

The bill, which would require applicants to show that they are in this country legally, goes to the Senate for a final vote. The Senate earlier today gave it preliminary approval, but is expected to pass it this evening and send it to Gov. John Baldacci for his signature.

The bill is designed to avert a showdown between the state and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Source - Maine Today

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Idaho Joins the Ranks of the Anti-Real ID States

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:54:20 -0400

This week, Idaho Governor Butch Otter signed into law legislation that prohibits the Idaho Department of Transportation from complying with the Real ID Act of 2005, a federal law requiring the states to implement a national identification card. The bill landed on the governor�s desk after receiving overwhelming bipartisan support in both the Idaho House and Senate, not receiving a single vote against passage. Idaho now joins Georgia, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Washington as states that have passed laws prohibiting compliance with Real ID.

Source - ACLU Press Release

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Missouri House passes bill to prohibit Real ID

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:21:31 -0400

Rep. Jim Guest won a local victory last week in a national quest to overturn new federal requirements regarding driver�s licenses.

The Missouri House approved a bill sponsored by Guest, a King City Republican, prohibiting the state from complying with the federal Real ID Act.

Source - KansasCity.com

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