Thread: Ohio: Officials opposing REAL ID statute

Officials opposing REAL ID statute
Costs, privacy main concerns
Matt Koesters
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: News

The architect of a resolution voicing Ohio's opposition to a controversial federal law earned a promotion to a prominent committee leadership role.

Ohio Rep. Diana Fessler (R-District 79) is the main sponsor of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 18, which calls for the federal government to repeal the REAL ID act of 2005.

The resolution has the bi-partisan support of nine other representatives, said Michael Dittoe, legislative aide to Rep. Fessler. If the resolution passes both houses of the Ohio General Assembly, letters would be sent to the president and all members of U.S. Congress.

Last week, Rep. Fessler took over the position of vice-chair of the Ohio House of Representatives Infrastructure, Homeland Security and Veteran's Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Steve Reinhard (R-District 82). Her resolution has been in the same committee since being introduced in spring 2007, but has not yet received a hearing, according to Dittoe.

"That's been very disappointing for our office," Dittoe said. Dittoe is hopeful Rep. Fessler's appointment to vice-chair of the committee will help move HCR 18 forward.

"She'll be able to help Rep. Reinhard get HCR 18 on the agenda," Dittoe said. "But that's yet to be seen at this point."

U.S. Congress passed the REAL ID act of 2005 to make it more difficult to fraudulently acquire a driver's license or identification card as part of an effort to fight terrorism and reduce fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Web site.

"The American public's desire for greater identity protection is undeniable," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in a Jan. 11 DHS press release. "Americans understand today that the 9/11 hijackers obtained 30 drivers licenses and IDs, and used 364 aliases. For an extra $8 per license, REAL ID will give law enforcement and security officials a powerful advantage against falsified documents, and it will bring some peace of mind to citizens wanting to protect their identity from theft by a criminal or illegal alien."

http://media.www.newsrecord.org

Mike Huckabee Supported Real ID Act

Mary Benoit
JBS
Tuesday February 5, 2008

Former Arkansas Governor and current presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, supported the implementation of the REAL ID Act in 2005.

Follow this link to the original source: "National Governors Association - Letter"

In a letter to Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, then-Governor Mike Huckabee wrote in support of the Real ID Act. The letter states, in part: "we want to reemphasize our commitment to working with you to implement the REAL ID statute."

Others are not as eager to see final implementation of the measure succeed. The Real ID act, has proved to be very controversial, especially among state legislators who realized that the states would carry much of the financial burden in order to implement the 2005 law.

Since both houses of Congress passed the act in 2005, more than half the states in America have either passed or proposed legislation that would oppose the act in some form. Why? The Real ID act would require every citizen to obtain a standard driver's license, linked by a national database, if he or she wanted to board an airplane or train, or enter a federal building, to name just a few examples. Several lawmakers have paralleled the Real ID act to implementing a national ID card, and argue that it would place unnecessary restrictions on American citizens.



http://infowars.net/articles/february20 ... ckabee.htm

Mike Huckabee Supported Real ID Act

Mary Benoit
JBS
Tuesday February 5, 2008

Former Arkansas Governor and current presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, supported the implementation of the REAL ID Act in 2005.

Follow this link to the original source: "National Governors Association - Letter"

In a letter to Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, then-Governor Mike Huckabee wrote in support of the Real ID Act. The letter states, in part: "we want to reemphasize our commitment to working with you to implement the REAL ID statute."

Others are not as eager to see final implementation of the measure succeed. The Real ID act, has proved to be very controversial, especially among state legislators who realized that the states would carry much of the financial burden in order to implement the 2005 law.

Since both houses of Congress passed the act in 2005, more than half the states in America have either passed or proposed legislation that would oppose the act in some form. Why? The Real ID act would require every citizen to obtain a standard driver's license, linked by a national database, if he or she wanted to board an airplane or train, or enter a federal building, to name just a few examples. Several lawmakers have paralleled the Real ID act to implementing a national ID card, and argue that it would place unnecessary restrictions on American citizens.



http://infowars.net/articles/february20 ... ckabee.htm