Thread: Real ID facing threat of extinction in Arizona

Bill barring state from new U.S. ID plan gets initial OK
31 commentsby Mary Jo Pitzl - May. 2, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
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.
Senators rejected a proposal from state Sen. Debbie McCune Davis, D-Phoenix, to make Arizona's entrance into the program contingent on getting federal funding to do so.

That would save the cash-strapped state the burden of complying with an unfunded federal mandate, she said.

But other lawmakers said Real ID is a bad idea, whether the state gets money to make it happen or not.

Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, called the federal program a "terrible idea" that would not make the country any safer.

Real ID was proposed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks as a way to safeguard against identity theft. It has been both praised and criticized as a big step down the road to a national ID card.

In Arizona, House Bill 2677 seeks to prohibit the state from putting Real ID into effect. It passed the House in March on a 51-8 vote. A formal Senate vote could come as early as next week.

Although initially scheduled to take effect in nine days, the federal government has delayed implementation of the controversial program through the end of next year.

Arizona got its extension after Gov. Janet Napolitano last year agreed to participate in a 3-in-1 ID program that would give users one document that would serve triple duty as a driver's license, a way to prove legal status for purposes of complying with the state's employer-sanctions law and for crossing the Mexican border back into Arizona.

"We have an extension in spite of the fact that we never asked for it," said Jeanine L'Ecuyer, the governor's spokeswoman.

Although the extension lasts until Dec. 31, 2009, in October 2009 the state can request a further extension to May 2011.

The 3-in-1 program has also drawn the ire of many lawmakers, who see it not only as a privacy intrusion, but a violation of the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.

A bill that would create such a document never got an initial hearing.

Reach the reporter at maryjo .pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8963.

http://tinyurl.com/5xgmu7

REAL ID would be a real problem for Americans: http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 004/NEWS01

Exactly.

Well, I hope everyone in Arizona is prepared to get a passport prior to flying or entering a federal building.

POTUS wrote:

REAL ID would be a real problem for Americans: http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 004/NEWS01

Nice opinion piece, POTUS. Heck, it even has a couple inaccuracies thrown in for good measure. Blogs, opinions, and conspiracy pieces against Real ID can be found all over the web, however, many of them are misleading, inaccurate, and full of hyperbole (JP's favorite word - just kidding, JP).

No MW, my new word for you is Red Herring. You seem to have been doing a lot of fishing lately and throwing them out there.

"Real Americans fight for smaller government, great Americans question their government. "

I already have a passport, drivers license, state id card, social security card. What more do I need to prove i'm an American Citizen? I have no problems showing my passport before entering a building or getting on a plane. In fact, I usually will use my passport as a form of id when traveling domestically when bording aircraft.

It's not that difficult.

Originally Posted by MW

POTUS wrote:

REAL ID would be a real problem for Americans: http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 004/NEWS01

Nice opinion piece, POTUS. Heck, it even has a couple inaccuracies thrown in for good measure. Blogs, opinions, and conspiracy pieces against Real ID can be found all over the web, however, many of them are misleading, inaccurate, and full of hyperbole (JP's favorite word - just kidding, JP).

Can you be more specific, regarding alleged inaccuracies?

POTUS wrote:

Can you be more specific, regarding alleged inaccuracies?

Sure, for you, POTUS, anything.

Excerpt:

Real ID disrupts this delicate balance of power in two ways. First, it turns the Founders' logic on its head by forcing states to act as agents for the federal government in creating a national ID card for federal purposes.

Real ID is not a national ID card. The cards are issued through the individual states and the database will be maintained by the states.

Excerpt:

Fourth, Real ID will move DMV lines in our state up from 15 minutes to up to two hours, and those productive hours will not be regained in this lifetime. I suspect a similar phenomenon in DMVs across the nation.

Opinion at best, inaccuracy at worst.

Excerpt:

Fifth, Real ID falsely assumes our personal information will be safer in one spot in Washington rather than housed independently across 50 separate states.

From what I've read, the Real ID database will be maintained by states DMV. I've read nothing that indicates there will be a central database held in Washington, D.C. If you've got something from an official government site that makes such a claim, I'd be interested in seeing it. If you've got the proof, I'm man enough to admit I'm wrong.

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Page 7
A primary privacy concern has been whether the REAL ID will result in a national identity system, including a centralized database of PII regarding all drivers. Although DHS cannot control how private sector third parties will use REAL ID cards, it can address the concern regarding the development of a centralized database. DHS states the following in the [b]preamble to the final rule: “DHS does not intend that a REAL ID document become a de facto national ID based on the actions of others outside of DHS to limit their acceptance of an identity document to a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card.â€