January 25, 2008 - For the past two weeks, there have been threats from the Department of Homeland Security that as of May 11, driver's licenses from states that oppose Real ID will no longer be accepted for boarding an airplane or entering a federal building. Those threats were met head on by the governor of Montana who sent a letter to the governors of 16 other states that are on record as being opposed to Real ID. Now comes word that West Virginia may join the fight and go on record with its opposition.

A new bill is floating around West Virginia's capitol building and it is enjoying bipartisan support. If passed and signed into law, the state would become the 18^th to go on record as opposing the law and would put the federal government on notice that the state will not comply with the Real ID Act.  The bill specifically instructs the state's department of motor vehicles not to comply with Real ID.

The bill was sponsored by State Senator Clark Barnes, a Republican. It currently has 15 co-sponsors including a number of Democrats. Barnes said, "Somewhere along the line, people have got to say enough is enough." He went on to say, "The whole thing will feed into a federal computer system, which every time you show that ID, there is information placed on that computer about you." It essentially turns driver's licenses into a national ID card.

If the bill does become law, it would be a smack in the face to DHS and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. It would clearly show that even in the face of threats, individual states are no prepared to surrender their duty to protect the privacy of their citizens.

Opposition to Real ID has created some strange bedfellows. The law has been opposed by everyone from the ACLU to the National Rifle Association; two groups that seldomly see eye to eye. Because opposition to the law has been so loud, there are serious efforts in Congress to repeal it, or at least scale it back.

by Jim Malmberg

Note: When posting a comment, please sign-in first if you want a response. If you are not registered, click here. Registration is easy and free.

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.