Real ID Revolt

States Challenge Nat'l Driver's License
Feb 4, 9:36 AM (ET)
By LESLIE MILLER

(AP) Rep. Jim Guest, R-King City, listens to debate Monday, May 1, 2006, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP...

WASHINGTON (AP) - A revolt against a national driver's license, begun in Maine last month, is quickly spreading to other states.

The Maine Legislature on Jan. 26 overwhelmingly passed a resolution objecting to the Real ID Act of 2005. The federal law sets a national standard for driver's licenses and requires states to link their record-keeping systems to national databases.

Within a week of Maine's action, lawmakers in Georgia, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington state also balked at Real ID. They are expected soon to pass laws or adopt resolutions declining to participate in the federal identification network.

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The law's supporters say it is needed to prevent terrorists and illegal immigrants from getting fake identification cards.

States will have to comply by May 2008. If they do not, driver's licenses that fall short of Real ID's standards cannot be used to board an airplane or enter a federal building or open some bank accounts.
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The above paragraph implies that people will not be able to board airplanes without the ID. Actually, a passport will still suffice so there is no need to be concerned about being compelled to acquire a driving license.



A Real ID revolt
By Nate Anderson | Published: February 05, 2007 - 01:33PM CT

The Real ID Act will come into force next year unless Congress takes action to alter the law, but it won't happen without opposition from the very states charged with implementing it. That's bad news for the bill's supporters, who argue that Real ID will make it eaier to fight crime and catch terrorists, but the growing surge of momentum against the law is sweet music to the ears of libertarians, civil-liberties organizations, and budget-conscious state officials.