Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign a bill passed last week which would ostensibly prevent the state from participating in the REAL ID program, at least until the government ponies up some money to pay for it.
The federal REAL ID Act, passed in 2005, requires states to issue driver licenses and identification cards which conform to federal standards, or the federal government will not accept them. But compliance is expected to cost over $11 billion to start, and billions more over the following five years, leading some states to reject the program as an unfunded mandate.
That seems to be what Washington state has done. Legislators there are not at all averse to the idea of REAL ID, as they proved last month by agreeing to issue a “secure” driver license which could be used to cross the Canadian border in a Homeland Security pilot project. Participants would pay $40 for their driver license, which will contain an RFID chip with their personal information, and be allowed to use it to cross the border instead of a passport.
But for now, it’s important for the legislators to keep up appearances. So, therefore, the bill to keep Washington out of REAL ID, temporarily, which had overwhelming support in both houses of Washington’s legislature.
The measure directs the state not to spend money to implement the act unless privacy and security protections have been met, the implementation doesn’t place unreasonable costs or record-keeping burdens on citizens, and the state has received federal money to put the act’s requirements into effect.
The bill also allows the state attorney general, with the approval of the governor, to challenge the legality or constitutionality of the act.
The Bush administration agreed earlier this year to grant states an extra year and a half to comply with the law. The original law set a May 11, 2008, implementation deadline, but no funding had been provided. The new deadline is Dec. 31, 2009.
The state Department of Licensing had estimated it would cost $96.7 million over the next two years and $93.4 million in 2009-2011 to implement the act. — Associated Press
Remember, the primary objection they have is that the federal government isn’t paying for it. They don’t care one bit about your privacy, despite wording in the law to that effect.
Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff has previously said that REAL ID compliant licenses and identification cards would protect individuals’ privacy — at least from non-governmental threats. But those aren’t the serious threats to your privacy.
Big Brother loves you, and would never allow harm to come to you.
(Hat tip: Electronic Frontier Foundation)
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Jeff Hoyt
Apr 12, 2007
The brilliant minds of the members of Washington’s state legislature don’t want to spend their own money on the REAL ID Act. They want all the other states to pay for it. Or am I wrong in my belief that the several states are where D.C. gets the money in the first place? (Yeah, yeah, I know all tax revenues are used to pay the interest on our debt, and the Fed just prints more money, but that’s a subject for another post.)
So, all the other states pay for Washington. Then all the other states, including Washington, pay for Vermont. Then all the other states, including Vermont, pay for Nebraska Then all the other states, including Nebraska, pay for Alabama…
Am I missing something here?
Anonymous
Apr 12, 2007
New Hampshire is on it’s way to getting rid of the Real ID for real. Only 8 members of the state house (out of 400) voted against it.
– FreeStateProject*Org –
jon
Apr 12, 2007
Good point. Of the many things wrong with Real ID, the cost of an unfunded mandate is the one that virtually everybody at the state level opposes — and that’s probably a lot of what’s spurring at least some state legislatures to action. (I agree with the Free State Project commenter that in New Hampshire, for example, other issues are at the forefront.)
One of the things we’re trying to do with the Stop Real ID Now grassroots activism campaign is to use the DHS commenting process to get a lot more awareness of other issues as well. There’s so much wrong with Real ID that there’s a good chance to bring different perspectives together on this … so if people want to start by focusing on the $11+-billion unfunded mandate to the states, that’s okay with me!
jon
Michael Hampton
Apr 12, 2007
I’m already here IN New Hampshire. You’re at George Mason. What’s taking you so long?
Michael
Apr 12, 2007
I would like to point out also that this is a Federal Mandate and while states are opting out it truly is not dealing with the law it self so even if a state does ban it any election could bring it back in any state. Second Washington States new secure drivers license is a totally different requirement outside of the Real ID required by Homeland Security. Not dealing with the issue would prevent billions of dollars in trade, tourism and tax dollars to the region and was a stop gap method to keep people and good flowing between Washington State and British Columbia. So it clearly points to the larger picture here Homeland can make up what ever rules it wants which amounts to passing laws without it being and act of congress which clearly points out that the supposed called sunset provisions in the Patriot Act were never intended by the current administration of going away. Unchecked government in action!
Michael Hampton
Apr 13, 2007
Except that Washington’s new “secure” ID just happens to meet all the requirements for a REAL ID.
Jun 09, 2007
Passport requirement to re-enter country temporarily suspended - Homeland Stupidity