A partial win for NC Citizens and their identity! :D
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A partial win for NC Citizens and their identity! :D
Heavy voter turnout expected today
By The Associated Press
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - Bangor Daily News
AUGUSTA — High energy from this year’s presidential race combined with intensely contested congressional races and important local issues are likely to draw an unusually heavy turnout at Maine’s polls today, the state’s top election official said.
"I’m thinking around 30 to 35 percent," which would be about 50 percent higher than usual for primary elections, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said Monday.
Maine has no presidential primaries, but heavy participation at the presidential preference caucuses in February underscores Mainers’ strong interest in politics this year, Dunlap said.
Election officials usually go out of their way to remind people to vote, but "people are thinking about voting because it’s a presidential election year," said Dunlap. "And we don’t have to struggle with [reminding people] this year."
Dunlap said other factors are at work as well to bring out voters, including a U.S. Senate primary, contested primaries in the 1st Congressional District, legislative primaries in two dozen districts across the state, and local issues, especially school budget votes.
Pre-election activity was heavy in southern Maine’s 1st Congressional District, where six Democrats and two Republicans are vying for their respective parties’ nominations for the seat being vacated by Rep. Tom Allen. The six-term Democratic congressman is favored to beat politically untested Tom Ledue for their party’s nod to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.
The U.S. House candidates hit the streets all over the 1st District. On Monday morning, Democrat Ethan Strimling and Republican Charles Summers and their supporters waved to motorists on opposite approaches to the Casco Bay Bridge in South Portland and Portland.
Chellie Pingree’s campaign schedule took her to the Augusta, Hallowell and Winthrop areas, while Adam Cote concentrated on meeting voters in the Biddeford-Saco area.
"It’s all about reminding people to vote on Tuesday," Cote said.
As he headed to Portland’s busy Exchange Street to shake hands and hand out campaign literature, Michael Brennan said a series of attacks and counterattacks among some of the other candidates would help his cause.
"We definitely believe momentum is going our way. I still feel we’re very competitive in this race," Brennan said.
Mark Lawrence made phone calls to voters and scheduled an afternoon shift-change stop at the Bath Iron Works gates. Also in the race is Stephen Meister. In the Republican 1st District primary, Summers faces political newcomer Dean Scontras.
Also on primary ballots around the state will be six contests among Democrats for state Senate and 18 House primaries, 10 of them featuring Democrats and the other eight matching up Republican nomination rivals.
Appearing on the statewide ballot will be a bond issue question seeking authorization of $29.7 million in long-term borrowing for natural resource, agricultural and transportation projects. They range from landfill cleanups and dam repairs to highway and bridge improvements.
Voters and election workers won’t be the only ones at the polls today.
Campaigns for two people’s veto campaigns — dealing with Real ID license restrictions and new taxes to pay for DirigoHealth — plan to set up tables to collect voters’ signatures at the polls.
Both are facing July 17 deadlines to collect at least 55,087 signatures needed to get their proposals on the November 2008 ballot. Considering the early deadline both face, they are expected to be at as many polling places as possible today to move their campaigns forward, election officials said.
One of the campaigns seeks to repeal taxes on beer, wine and soda and new surcharges insurers must pay on paid claims to fund the state-sponsored DirigoHealth insurance program. The other seeks to repeal a new law to bolster security of Maine’s driver’s licenses to bring the state into closer compliance with the federal Real ID Act.
Also gathering signatures will be a citizen’s initiative campaign to repeal Maine’s law protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination and reaffirming the law that now prohibits marriage by people of the same sex.
That campaign does not face such tight deadlines to collect signatures because its question cannot go on the ballot before November 2009.
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx? ... 3&zoneid=5
GCN Home > 06/09/08 issue
Intell law boosts Real ID
TSA enforces rules for air travelers to carry secure credentials
By Wilson P. Dizard
States that have invested in technology to comply with the contentious Real ID Act got a helpful, if unexpected, affirmation from the federal government May 26 when a Homeland Security Department agency issued long-delayed regulations that require the use of secure driver’s licenses or other secure biometric credentials to board domestic flights.
The technological impact of the new rules, enforced by the Transportation Security Administration, is to render moot many of the objections to Real ID credential security requirements.
The newly imposed requirements represent a somewhat unexpected end-run around the most controversial requirements of the Real ID law, which mandates the use of secure biometric credentials that provide proof of legal presence in the country and authorization to drive a car. People with legal presence can also obtain Real ID non-driver’s identification cards.
Legal presence is a recently developed term used to cover all individuals who are in the country legally. People who hold one of the dozens of types of visas issued by the federal government qualify for the legal presence designation.
Most people boarding airplanes use their driver’s licenses for identification.
All U.S.-issued driver’s licenses now comply with Real ID requirements, largely because DHS issued waivers to states that had not complied. The Real ID Act’s effect will be felt during the next several years, as states, DHS, the State Department and dozens of motor vehicle departments upgrade their security to meet its requirements.
For example, the law requires drivers to be authorized by secure biometric credentials and, for the first time, imposes national standards for the privacy and security of motor vehicle department computer systems. Hardening DMV systems against hacking or exploitation from within could defend against a range of opportunities for criminals to obtain apparently valid credentials.
The new TSA requirements mandate that travelers present compliant documents or face the prospect of interrogation and search in a process similar to the secondary inspection methods used on suspicious people who arrive from other countries. TSA chose to mesh the requirements imposed May 26 with those of Real ID to simplify compliance.
The regulations resulted from the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which requires DHS to propose minimum standards for identification documents required for domestic flights.
The May 26 regulations reflected Real ID requirements that had been scheduled to go into effect May 11. DHS had granted waivers to states that had not met the May 11 deadline. Several did not comply because of outright opposition to Real ID.
Invisible features
TSA’s announcement also puts into play a range of credential-reading devices that Customs and Border Protection, another DHS agency, has purchased and installed at airport checkpoints (GCN.com, Quickfind 1103).
The DHS officials have received training on how to use the equipment to inspect security features that can’t be seen by the naked eye. That inspection technology likely will evolve as the security features embedded in the credentials become more sophisticated.
The new TSA rules, however, lack a critical phase of the Real ID regulations — a pointer system that allows state officials to determine where an individual’s driving record is kept. They also lack a requirement that individuals prove legal presence to obtain a Real ID credential.
The enabling technologies for the pointer system and database infrastructure for the legal presence reviews haven’t been completed.
That network eventually will link DMVs with federal databases that assure a noncitizen’s legal presence in the country.
More news on related topics: Authentication / Identity Management, Homeland Security, State & Local
http://www.gcn.com/print/27_13/46429-1.html
The network will eventually link DMV'S with federal databases..Quote:
The new TSA rules, however, lack a critical phase of the Real ID regulations — a pointer system that allows state officials to determine where an individual’s driving record is kept. They also lack a requirement that individuals prove legal presence to obtain a Real ID credential.
The enabling technologies for the pointer system and database infrastructure for the legal presence reviews haven’t been completed.
That network eventually will link DMVs with federal databases that assure a noncitizen’s legal presence in the country.
THIS IS A NATIONAL ID CARD, Plain and simple.
Bill defies federal ID requirements
Louisiana Government Links
Louisiana Governor's Office
Gov.-Elect Bobby Jindal Transition site
Louisiana Lt. Governor's Office
Louisiana Legislature
Louisiana Attorney General
Louisiana Secretary of State
Department of Agriculture and Forestry
Department of Public Safety
Department of Transportation and Development
* By SARAH CHACKO
* Advocate Capitol News Bureau
* Published: Jun 11, 2008 - Page: 6A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.
Legislation that would direct a state department to ignore a federal mandate requiring a special identification card could end up restricting where Louisiana residents can go.
The Senate Committee of Judiciary A approved the legislation without objection Tuesday despite concerns that residents may have to buy passports to travel inside the states and to enter federal buildings.
House Bill 715 directs the state Department of Public Safety & Corrections not to implement the federal REAL ID Act of 2005.
Created after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, REAL ID is a law that establishes minimum standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and personal identification cards, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Web site.
REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards would allow citizens to board a federally regulated airplane or access a federal facility or a nuclear power plant, the site states.
State Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles and sponsor of House Bill 715, said the federal act was passed by Congress as part of an amendment to a bill that was not debated. He said the measure is an unfunded mandate, requiring states to do the work without providing any money to do it.
State Rep. Jonathan Perry, who also spoke in favor of HB715, said the federal act is putting in motion the types of government controls he heard about as a child.
The legislation that enacted the program gives the federal government open-ended authority to include biometric information, like a person’s retinal scan, fingerprint and genetic information, said Perry, R-Kaplan.
“The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either,â€
Ariz. Legislature kills Real ID; critics point to hefty costs
15 comments by Matthew Benson - Jun. 11, 2008 10:01 PM
The Arizona Republic
Arizona legislators delivered a sharp rebuke Wednesday to federal plans for a uniform standard on state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.
On a 51-1 final vote, House lawmakers sent Gov. Janet Napolitano their House Bill 2677, a measure barring the state from participating in the federal Real ID program.
If Napolitano signs the bill, Arizona will become the 10th state to prohibit compliance with the federal program.
But the legislation's impact is negligible for the time being because Real ID isn't slated to take effect for at least another 18 months.
Congress approved the program in 2005 as part of security recommendations stemming from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Real ID calls for states to verify that applicants are legal citizens, and that cards include security features such as a digital photograph and signature.
While backers point to the need for IDs more adept at thwarting fraud and forgery, critics have voiced concerns about hefty costs - to be borne by the states - to develop the IDs.
Some opponents say the central databases needed increase the risk of identity theft and fear Real ID is a step toward a national identification card.
Groups across the political spectrum - from the ACLU to the John Birch Society - have aligned against the federal program.
State compliance is voluntary, but individuals will be required to carry identification that meets Real ID standards to board commercial flights or enter federal buildings. The program's implementation has already been delayed until the end of 2009.
Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said whether the governor will sign the bill is essentially a moot point given the lack of movement regarding the program.
"Real ID doesn't happen without the feds paying for it," L'Ecuyer said. "Real ID isn't going anywhere."
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... d0612.html
June 11, 2008 - 6:50PM
Legislators OK ban on participating in Real ID
Comments 0 | Recommend 0
Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services
State legislators gave final approval Wednesday to a ban on Arizona participating in the federal government's Real ID program. The near-unanimous vote on HB2677 was driven by lawmakers' concerns the new type of driver's license, mandated three years ago by Congress, would become a de facto national identification card.
There also are fears the information about license holders, including Social Security numbers and copies of documents they provided to get the licenses in the first place, will wind up in some nationally linked database that could be "hacked" by identity thieves.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes Real ID, says Arizona would become the 10th state to pass a law prohibiting compliance with the federal mandate. But that is contingent on Gov. Janet Napolitano going along with the bill the Senate approved last month on a 21-7 margin. Press aide Jeanine L'Ecuyer would not say Wednesday whether the governor will sign the bill when it reaches her desk.
Only Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, was in opposition. But Konopnicki said his vote was a protest: He could not get a hearing on his proposal to have Arizona create an optional "technologically enhanced" driver's license, one the federal government would recognize but without some of the drawbacks of Real ID.
The 2005 federal law directs Homeland Security to create new standards for states to use when issuing driver's licenses. That was a direct outgrowth of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when some of the hijackers carried state driver's licenses that were obtained fraudulently.
The idea is both to make it harder for people to acquire state licenses with false names as well as ensure the licenses themselves are tamper resistant.
The original deadline for implementing Real ID was last month. But when states refused to go along, Homeland Security agreed to delay that deadline until at least the end of 2009 for any state that sought an extension.
Napolitano said her biggest concern was not privacy but what she called an "unfunded mandate" that could cost states billions of dollars. But she did sign an agreement with Homeland Security in August to create what she calls a "3-in-1" license.
It could be used not only as a driver's license but would also be accepted by the federal government as proof of citizenship, meaning it could be used in lieu of a passport. That also would mean Arizona employers could accept it as proof someone is legally entitled to work in this country.
The governor, in an effort to sell the idea, said it would be optional: Residents could choose to keep their current licenses rather than purchase the more expensive ones.
But Napolitano needs legislative approval to create a new type of license to deliver on her deal with Homeland Security - the approval that Konopnicki was seeking to obtain with his measure, HB2762.
But Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, quashed Konopnicki's bill - and the governor's plan - by refusing to bring it to a vote in the House Transportation Committee, which he chairs.
Among the concerns is that Konopnicki's bill allowed the 3-in-1 licenses to be embedded with a radio frequency identification computer chip that could be read by nearby scanners.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/118327
Legislature acts to opt AZ out of Real ID
Email|Print|Single Page| Text size – + By Paul Davenport
Associated Press Writer / June 11, 2008
PHOENIX—Legislators on Wednesday sent Gov. Janet Napolitano a bill to make Arizona the latest state to refuse to implement new "Real ID" security standards mandated by the federal government for driver's licenses.
more stories like this
House approval of the bill on a 51-1 vote with no debate Wednesday completed legislative action on the bill. It was approved, 21-7, by the Senate on May 6.
What happens next with the bill is unclear because Napolitano hasn't indicated whether she'll sign or veto it.
The bill would have no immediate impact even if it becomes law because Arizona has already received a federal extension on Real ID compliance to 2009.
However, its passage is clearly trouble for Napolitano's own proposal for an enhanced "3-in-1" driver's license. She needs legislative authorization for that, and a bill to provide that approval was introduced but not heard during the current session.
At least eight other states have enacted legislation refusing to implement the Real ID law, which was enacted in 2005 military spending legislation and proposed in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
It requires all states to bring their driver's licenses under a national standard and to link their record-keeping systems.
Implementation of the law would require the public to show need Real ID-compliant driver's licenses or other identification in order to enter federal buildings or board airplanes.
While the Bush administration says the law will hinder terrorists, illegal immigrants and other wrongdoers, Real ID faces criticism from states and others because of the federal mandate, costs to states and privacy concerns.
The Arizona bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Judy Burgess of Skull Valley, said it represents "a Real ID tea party at the statehouse."
Burges said she's particularly concerned that database connections could ease identity theft.
"What happens is the database would be shared clear across the United States and we would be subject to the weakest link in other states," she said.
States that have rejected the Real ID act, some with conditions, include Idaho, New Hampshire, Montana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, Oklahoma and Maine. Minnesota's governor vetoed a prohibition bill on April 25.
The National Conference of State Legislatures' president, state Rep. Donna Stone of Delaware, told a U.S. Senate subcommittee in April that the Real ID law should be repealed and replaced with a negotiated rulemaking process that would include state lawmakers.
Napolitano on Dec. 6 signed an agreement with U.S. Homeland Security Michael Chertoff on development of an alternative 3-in-1 driver's license with enhanced security features that could also be used to cross borders and verify employment eligibility.
Key Arizona legislators vowed to fight the proposal, calling it a step toward compliance with Real ID and an infringement on the Legislature's policy-making role.
Napolitano calls the deal with Chertoff a realistic and appropriate means to do employment eligibility checks and meet tough new federal ID requirements to enter the United States from Canada and Mexico.
As described by Napolitano, Arizonans could either get the 3-in-1 license or the current license.
Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, cast the only Arizona House vote against the bill on Wednesday, saying later that he favored authorization for the 3-in-1 license instead.
Real ID "could change dramatically next year -- it has to," Konopnicki said. "But we have to be able to board airplanes."
------
On the Net:
Arizona Legislature: http://www.azleg.gov
Gov. Janet Napolitano: http://www.governor.state.az.us/
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm
National Conference of State Legislatures: http://www.ncsl.org/
http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/ ... f_real_id/
Legislature votes to opt Arizona out of Real ID program
The Associated Press
PHOENIX - Legislators on Wednesday sent Gov. Janet Napolitano a bill to make Arizona the latest state to refuse to implement new "Real ID" security standards mandated by the federal government for driver's licenses.
House approval of the bill (HB2677) on a 51-1 vote with no debate Wednesday completed legislative action on the bill. It was approved, 21-7, by the Senate on May 6.
What happens next with the bill is unclear because Napolitano hasn't indicated whether she'll sign or veto it.
The bill would have no immediate impact even if it becomes law because Arizona has already received a federal extension on Real ID compliance to 2009.
However, its passage is clearly trouble for Napolitano's own proposal for an enhanced "3-in-1" driver's license. She needs legislative authorization for that. A bill to provide that approval was introduced but not heard during the current session.
At least eight other states have enacted legislation refusing to implement the Real ID law, which was enacted in 2005 military spending legislation and proposed in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
It requires all states to bring their driver's licenses under a national standard and to link their record-keeping systems.
Implementation of the law would require the public to show Real ID-compliant driver's licenses or other identification in order to enter federal buildings or board airplanes.
While the Bush administration says the law will hinder terrorists, illegal immigrants and other wrongdoers, Real ID faces criticism from states and others because of the federal mandate, costs to states and privacy concerns.
The Arizona bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Judy Burgess of Skull Valley, said it represents "a Real ID tea party at the statehouse."
Burges said she's particularly concerned that database connections could ease identity theft.
"What happens is the database would be shared clear across the United States and we would be subject to the weakest link in other states," she said.
States that have rejected the Real ID act, some with conditions, include Idaho, New Hampshire, Montana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, Oklahoma and Maine. Minnesota's governor vetoed a prohibition bill on April 25.
The National Conference of State Legislatures' president, state Rep. Donna Stone of Delaware, told a U.S. Senate subcommittee in April that the Real ID law should be repealed and replaced with a negotiated rulemaking process that would include state lawmakers.
Napolitano on Dec. 6 signed an agreement with U.S. Homeland Security Michael Chertoff on development of an alternative 3-in-1 driver's license with enhanced security features that could also be used to cross borders and verify employment eligibility.
Key Arizona legislators vowed to fight the proposal, calling it a step toward compliance with Real ID and an infringement on the Legislature's policy-making role.
Napolitano calls the deal with Chertoff a realistic and appropriate means to do employment eligibility checks and meet tough new federal ID requirements to enter the United States from Canada and Mexico.
As described by Napolitano, Arizonans could either get the 3-in-1 license or the current license.
Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, cast the only Arizona House vote against the bill on Wednesday, saying later that he favored authorization for the 3-in-1 license instead.
Real ID "could change dramatically next year - it has to," Konopnicki said. "But we have to be able to board airplanes."
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/87954.php
Insider Report/Inside Track
Minnesota and Alaska Legislatures Reject Real ID
By: JBS Staff
June 23, 2008
» Email this page | printer friendly version
In May Minnesota and Alaska became the eighth and ninth states whose legislatures have rejected Real ID, joining Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Washington. A dozen more states have approved resolutions calling for the costs of the Real ID program to be fully covered by Congress or the act repealed.
Minnesota’s Real ID resolution (HF3807) was clearly stated and uncompromising: “Section 1. Noncompliance With Real ID Act. The commissioner of public safety is prohibited from taking any action to implement or to plan for the implementation by this state of those sections of Public Law 109-13 known as the Real ID Act.â€
State legislators vote not to participate in Real ID program
By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX — State legislators gave final approval Wednesday to a ban on Arizona participating in the federal government’s Real ID program.
The near unanimous vote on HB 2677 was driven by lawmakers’ concerns the new type of driver’s license, mandated three years ago by Congress, would become a de facto national identification card. There also are fears the information about license holders, including Social Security numbers and copies of documents they provided to get the licenses in the first place, will wind up in some nationally linked database that could be ``hacked’’ by identity thieves.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes Real ID, says Arizona would become the 10th state to pass a law prohibiting compliance with the federal mandate. But that is contingent on Gov. Janet Napolitano going along with the bill the Senate approved last month on a 21-7 margin: Press aide Jeanine L’Ecuyer would not say Wednesday whether the governor will sign the bill when it reaches her desk.
Only Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, was in opposition. But Konopnicki said his vote was a protest: He could not get a hearing on his proposal to have Arizona create an optional “technologically enhanced’’ driver license, one the federal government would recognize but without some of the drawbacks of Real ID.
The 2005 federal law directs Homeland Security to create new standards for states to use when issuing driver licenses. That was a direct outgrowth of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, when some of the hijackers carried state driver licenses which were obtained fraudulently.
The idea is both to make it harder for people to acquire state licenses with false names as well as ensure the licenses themselves are tamper resistant.
But the law has provoked a firestorm of protest from many, like Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, who believe the licenses will become a de facto national identification card. There also are concerns the information about license holders — including copies of documents they provided to get the licenses in the first place — will wind up in some nationally linked database.
The original deadline for implementing Real ID was last month. But when states refused to go along, Homeland Security agreed to delay that deadline until at least the end of 2009 for any state which sought an extension.
Arizona did — as did all the other 49. Napolitano said her biggest concern was not privacy but what she called an “unfunded mandate’’ that could cost states billions of dollars.
But she did sign an agreement with Homeland Security in August to create what the governor calls a “3-in-1’’ license.
It could be used not only as a driver’s license but would also be accepted by the federal government as proof of citizenship, meaning it could be used in lieu of a passport. That also would mean Arizona employers could accept it as proof someone is legally entitled to work in this country.
The governor, in an effort to sell the idea, said it would be optional: Residents could choose to keep their current licenses rather than purchase the more expensive ones.
But Napolitano needs legislative approval to create a new type of driver license to deliver on her deal with Homeland Security — the approval that Konopnicki was seeking to obtain with his measure, HB 2762.
But Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, quashed Konopnicki’s bill — and the governor’s plan — by refusing to bring it to a vote in the House Transportation Committee which he chairs Among the concerns is that Konopnicki’s bill allowed the 3-in-1 licenses to be embedded with a radio frequency identification computer chip which could be read by nearby scanners. That could enable the government, which would know the unique number transmitted by each chip, to track the travels of those who hold the license.
Biggs called it “just a stepping stone to Real ID,’’ he said. That is a distinct possibility. Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said last year secure licenses like those Napolitano agreed to create eventually must be aligned with the requirements of the federal Real ID Act. And he said only states — and not individuals residents — could opt out.
Konopnicki said it’s unrealistic for the state to refuse to participate in Real ID without some alternative.
He said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will, at some point, require identification it finds acceptable for people to not only cross the border but even to get on airplanes or enter federal buildings. Konopnicki said he believes the 3-in-1 license would have solved the concerns expressed by foes of Real ID while meeting the needs of Arizonans. “It kept us out of a (national) database, gave you the ability to board an airplane,’’ he said. “Presented to an employer, it showed you were here legally.’’
The deal Napolitano inked with federal officials would require those who want one of the enhanced licenses to provide proof of citizenship and a Social Security number on top of existing requirements of a photo ID, proof of age and address.
http://www.douglasdispatch.com/articles ... 263306.txt
Bingo! I have heard that the chip can be destroyed by putting it in a microwave oven and nuking it for 5-10 seconds.Quote:
But Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, quashed Konopnicki’s bill — and the governor’s plan — by refusing to bring it to a vote in the House Transportation Committee which he chairs Among the concerns is that Konopnicki’s bill allowed the 3-in-1 licenses to be embedded with a radio frequency identification computer chip which could be read by nearby scanners. That could enable the government, which would know the unique number transmitted by each chip, to track the travels of those who hold the license.
The chip can be destoryed, which may be illegal. Likewise, it will not stop the information from going into a database which could be hacked or compromised in other ways.Quote:
Originally Posted by Americanpatriot
REAL ID = Real Control
Diary Entry by Darren Wolfe
Tell A Friend
The government's attempts to implement its Orwellian people tracking scheme known as REAL ID are being fought here in Pennsylvania. Tomorrow's press conference is expected to be well attended.
::::::::
News Advisory
Office of State Representative Samuel Rohrer
June 13, 2008 For Information: Ty McCauslin (717) 772-9979
State Lawmakers to Disclose Results of
Inquiry into $45 Million Contract
for REAL ID Implementation
What: A bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers, led by Representative Sam Rohrer (R-Berks) will make public both Governor Ed Rendell’s and PennDOT’s ongoing implementation of Real ID identification technology and the collection of biometric face prints from all new or renewed Pennsylvania driver’s license photos without public knowledge or legislative approval.
Who: State Representatives Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), Gordon Denlinger (R-Lancaster), John Siptroth (D-Monroe/Pike) and Tom Yewcic (D-Cambria/Somerset).
When: Monday, June 16
Time: 11 a.m.
WHERE: Capitol Media Center, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
LIVE WEBCAST: Log on to www.SamRohrer.com, beginning at 10:55 a.m. on Monday morning.
Darren Wolfe is the former Eastern Vice Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. He grew up in Puerto Rico and lived in Venezuela for seven years, including the first year of Chavez' rule.
"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law,' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual."
--Thomas Jefferson
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=7756
When You'll Need a National ID
Play Media
Reported by: Patrick Fazio
Watch video
Tuesday, Jun 17, 2008 @08:37pm EST
You already need a passport to fly internationally, but you'll eventually need to show a special ID to fly within the United States.
A national identification program was supposed to start last month, but citizens and BMVs are getting an extension.
"U.S. Department of Homeland Security just issued their final rules earlier this year and they still need to give final guidance around how some of these things will really look like," says Indiana BMV Commissioner Ron Stiver.
Bureau of Motor Vehicle officials in all states will be required to implement the Real ID Act, a federal law passed in response to 9/11.
"It sets down minimum requirements for what needs to be on a drivers license and what needs to be verified to obtain a driver's license. If those procedures aren't followed then a driver's license holder couldn't board a plane," Stiver says. That will include all domestic flights.
You'll also need to show a Real ID card to visit federal buildings and national parks.
Driver's license holders born after December 1, 1964, must get a Real ID by 2014. Everyone born before December 1, 1964, has until 2017 to get a Real ID.
"Indiana is well positioned. When we do move to a Real ID compliant credential, driver's license or identification card, I expect not a whole lot of incremental effort on our customers part," Stiver says. You will need to show a photo ID, birth certificate, Social Security card and proof of residence to get a Real ID.
The National Identification Program is designed to prevent terrorists from getting IDs. Privacy advocates are concerned because your Real ID information will be shared among states through computers. But personal information is already registered through Indiana's BMV website by 750,000 Hoosiers each year. "That represents nearly a tripling of the volume of last year. It's a very popular venue and we expect to grow even more," Stiver says.
But you will need to go to a Bureau of Motor Vehicles in person to get a Real ID.
The national program is expected to cost billions of dollars, so it might be expensive for you to get a Real ID. "It's really premature to know what any incremental costs will be, or for that matter, when we'll actually go into compliance, other than to say that we're well position and when the time comes we'll be ready," Stiver says.
While Indiana says it will be prepared, Illinois is among 17 states that oppose the Real ID requirements.
http://mywabashvalley.com/content/fulltext/?cid=11291
CLU Applauds Governor Napolitano (6/17/2008)
Arizona governor signs bill to opt out of REAL ID
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: (202) 675-2312, media@dcaclu.org
WASHINGTON – Today, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano signed into law legislation that would prohibit the state from complying with the Real ID Act of 2005, a federal mandate imposing a national ID card on all Americans through their state drivers' licenses. The measure passed both the Arizona House and Arizona Senate with overwhelming support: 51 to 1 and 21 to 7 respectively.
"Governor Napolitano has joined a nationwide movement against Real ID," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU Technology and Liberty Program. "Arizona has become the 10th state to pass legislation prohibiting compliance. The governor's actions today sends a strong and clear message that the people of Arizona will not stand for the Department of Homeland Security trampling on their right to privacy. The state government will not abide an unfunded mandate."
The Real ID Act of 2005 mandates that all states have compliant identification cards consistent with federal regulations, and requires that all Americans' private information be held in a single database that is accessible to federal and state officials – the cost and security of which is unknown. The states' response to the passage of Real ID has been steady. In 2007, 17 states passed either resolutions or statutes against the program, including 7 that opted out of it altogether. This year Idaho, Alaska and Arizona all opted out of Real ID by statue, and similar legislation is still pending in several states.
"Governor Napolitano deserves praise for standing up the federal government," added Dan Pochoda, legal director of the ACLU of Arizona. "Real ID is a real nightmare. The people of Arizona will not just lie down and play dead while this administration continues to dictate unfunded and unconstitutional mandates to the states."
http://www.aclu.org/privacy/gen/35696prs20080617.html
Governor pens "no Real ID" bill
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June 17, 2008 - 4:30PM
BY HOWARD FISCHER, CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
PHOENIX - Arizona became the latest state Tuesday to refuse to go along with the federal government's Real ID Act, a move the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said will have "real consequences'' for state residents.
The legislation signed by Gov. Janet Napolitano makes it illegal for her or her agency employees to implement the 2005 federal law. That law requires states to adopt new procedures for issuing driver licenses as well as making the documents themselves more secure.
Backers of the legislation said their main fear is that the new
licenses - and the linked databases that would be required - essentially will create a national ID card.
But Napolitano said her primary concern is that Congress, which imposed the mandate, has yet to cover the costs to the states.
"My support of the Real ID Act is, and has always been, contingent upon adequate federal funding," the governor said. "Absent that, the Real ID Act becomes just another unfunded federal mandate."
Laura Keehner, press secretary to the Department of Homeland Security, acknowledged the money already being provided and in the pipeline will not be enough to cover the cost, estimated at an extra $8 for each driver license. But she said the state and its residents will benefit in having a more secure document.
Keehner said if Arizona - and the 13 other states that have taken similar action - do not reverse course, it will be the residents who will suffer when the law takes effect as scheduled in 2010.
Potentially most sweeping, she said the law will forbid people from boarding commercial airlines without identification recognized by her agency.
Keehner said a passport would qualify, as would a military identification card. But she said those who lack either one would no longer be able to use their state driver's license.
The same rules will apply for anyone who wants to enter a federal building.
http://www.yumasun.com/news/governor_42 ... _real.html
Napolitano Signs Bill Nixing Real ID
POSTED: 12:35 pm MST June 17, 2008
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PHOENIX -- Gov. Janet Napolitano signed a bill Tuesday making Arizona the latest state to refuse to implement new "Real ID" security standards mandated by the federal government for driver's licenses.
Napolitano said she signed the bill into law because a lack of adequate federal funding makes Real ID "just another unfunded federal mandate."
"My support of the Real ID Act is, and has always been contingent upon adequate federal funding," Napolitano said in a rare signing letter.
However, the Arizona measure overwhelmingly approved by the Republican-led Legislature has no immediate impact because Arizona has already received a federal extension on Real ID compliance to 2009.
A National Conference of State Legislatures databank on Real ID legislation indicated that at least 12 other states have approved legislation to bar implementation of Real ID.
States listed as rejecting Real ID, some with conditions, include Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington.
Like Napolitano, other states' leaders have voiced concerned about a lack of funding to implement Real ID. And some critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have voiced privacy concerns.
The Bush administration says Real ID's requirement for more secure identification will hinder terrorists and illegal immigrants.
Under Real ID, states would have to bring their driver's licenses under a national standard and link their license record-keeping systems.
Implementation of Real ID would require the public to show need Real ID-compliant driver's licenses or other identification in order to enter federal buildings or board airplanes.
Napolitano said she still wants the Arizona Legislature to authorize a proposed "3-in-1" enhanced driver's license program. Authorization legislation was introduced but not heard during the current session, which is now in its final weeks.
Under an agreement negotiated by Napolitano and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the 3-in-1 license, Arizona would develop an optional, alternative license with enhanced security features that could also be used to cross borders and verify employment eligibility.
Now, without adequate federal funding that would make Real ID "practicable," the 3-in-1 proposal "must proceed on its own," Napolitano said.
The prohibition bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Judy Burgess of Skull Valley, hailed Napolitano's signing of the bill but said she would "absolutely not" support authorization of the governor's proposed 3-in-1 license.
The 3-in-1 license also raises concerns about loss of privacy, identity theft and unfunded mandates, Burgess said.
Burgess acknowledged the state still faces a federal mandate. "We will have to deal with it as it comes up, but for right now, I think we did the right thing."
http://www.kpho.com/news/16634248/detail.html
...And Arizona Makes it 20
David Weigel | June 17, 2008, 2:40pm
The 20th state, that is, to pass a statute or resolution announcing non-compliance with the REAL ID Act. I've just been told that Gov. Janet Napolitano (D, and a possible Obama running mate) signed off on House Bill 2677. From the Arizona Republic, a little background from when the House sent Napolitano the bill.
State compliance is voluntary, but individuals will be required to carry identification that meets Real ID standards to board commercial flights or enter federal buildings. The program's implementation has already been delayed until the end of 2009.
Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said whether the governor will sign the bill is essentially a moot point given the lack of movement regarding the program.
"Real ID doesn't happen without the feds paying for it," L'Ecuyer said. "Real ID isn't going anywhere."
Arizona's home to my favorite or second-favorite anti-REAL ID coalition, including, as it does, members of the ACLU, pols from both parties, and anti-RFID activist Katherine Albrecht.
http://reason.com/blog/show/127064.html
Lawmakers concerned about hi-def driver's license pix
by Steve Biddle
WPSU-PRCN (2008-06-17) Some representatives are concerned about driver's license pictures, saying the high-definition photos could be used to map the face -- and trample on civil liberties.
When a Pennsylvania driver gets a new license, PennDOT takes a high-definition photo, and does not inform the driver. Representative Sam Rohrer, a Berks County Republican, says they are, "In fact not just getting a photograph as people think they are geting, but in fact are getting a unique, face-mapping photograph taken. That is significant. That is highly problematic."
Rohrer says taking the face print is a first step toward accepting an unfunded federal mandate called the REAL-ID Act. The US Government is pushing states to change their documentation requirements to match federal standards.
At some point, Americans may need a federally approved, state-issued ID to board a plane or enter federal property.
Rohrer says he's concerned that when the driver's license pictures are taken, PennDOT is "...capturing what are termed unique faceprints, a form of biometrics that includes such things as DNA, eye scans, fingerprints, anything that is clearly, uniquely, individually indefinable."
Representative Gordon Denlinger, a Lancaster County Republican, agrees.
"The point here is that these things not become an avenue through which this government can fill computers, fill files full of every citizen's data and then that information get into the hands of a more tyrannical government and the government then assault the civil liberties of citizens," Denlinger said.
Chuck Ardo, a spokesman for Governor Rendell's administration, though, says when Pennsylvanians sit down for their license photos, by implication, they are giving the state permission to use that photo for identification.
"It shouldn't be a concern to anybody who is legitimately trying to apply for a driver's license; it's really no different than sitting for your picture, and has to do with PennDOT's desire to make Pennsylvania's licenses more secure."
Ardo says the PennDOT face print technology predates the debate over the REAL ID Act.
Napolitano signs bill to keep AZ out of Real ID
Last Edited: Wednesday, 18 Jun 2008, 5:27 AM MST
Created: Wednesday, 18 Jun 2008, 5:16 AM MST
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano
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Legislature votes to opt AZ out of Real ID
Bill to crack down on drivers without licenses defeated
PHOENIX (AP) -- Gov. Janet Napolitano has signed a bill to make Arizona the latest state to refuse to implement new "Real ID" security standards.
The standards are mandated by the federal government for driver's licenses.
However, the Arizona measure has no immediate impact because Arizona has already received a federal extension on Real ID compliance to 2009.
Napolitano says she signed the bill to prohibit state implementation of Real ID because a lack of adequate federal funding makes Real ID "just another unfunded federal mandate."
Other critics also cite the federal mandate and privacy concerns.
The Bush administration says Real ID's requirement for more secure identification will hinder terrorists and illegal immigrants.
Napolitano's office says approximately a dozen other states have refused to implement the Real ID law enacted in 2005.
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/myfox/pages ... geId=3.2.1
Napolitano: Real ID a no-go in Arizona
Matthew Benson
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 18, 2008 12:00 AM
Arizona will join roughly a dozen states that have vowed not to participate in federal plans for a uniform standard on state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.
On Tuesday, Gov. Janet Napolitano signed a measure, House Bill 2677, barring Arizona's compliance with the Real ID program. In so doing, she called it an unfunded federal mandate that would stick states such as Arizona with a multibillion-dollar bill for the cost to develop and implement the series of new fraud-proof identification cards.
HB 2677 is a rare recent example of broad, bipartisan agreement at the state Capitol, with the Democratic governor and GOP-led Legislature finding common ground in their opposition to Real ID.
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Some of that opposition is grounded in concerns about privacy and government advancement toward a national identification card. For Napolitano, the biggest issue is related to Real ID's costs for the states.
In a letter explaining her support for HB 2677, Napolitano cited a White House estimate that Real ID would cost at least $4 billion to implement. But thus far, she said, the federal government has only appropriated $90 million to help Arizona and other states offset those costs.
"My support of the Real ID Act is, and has always been, contingent upon adequate federal funding," Napolitano wrote Tuesday. "Absent that, the Real ID Act becomes just another unfunded federal mandate."
U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner disputed the characterization, saying states have access to hundreds of millions in federal grants to help pay for Real ID implementation.
Arizona and other states that have taken a stand against Real ID now are on a collision course with the federal government.
The program was approved by Congress in 2005 as part of a package of post-9/11 security recommendations. While state compliance is voluntary, individuals will be required by the end of 2009 to carry identification that meets Real ID standards in order to board commercial flights or enter federal buildings.
That provision still stands, Keehner said, adding, "The rules are clear."
Dan Pochoda, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, scoffed at the suggestion that millions of Americans would be barred from air travel or federal buildings because of the standoff between the states and federal government. His organization has been a vocal opponent of Real ID because of concerns about privacy and government intrusion.
Said Pochoda, "I can guarantee that 25 percent of airline travelers will not be banned from the purchasing of airline tickets in 2009."
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... d0618.html
June 19, 2008 - 9:02PM
Our View: Identifying problems with unfunded mandates
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Tribune Editorial
Arizona last week joined the growing list of states who are telling the federal government to take a hike regarding implementing its REAL ID Act, which, in addition to calling for making driver’s licenses more secure as identification, links state databases in such a way that has properly alarmed civil libertarians who fear it would become a national identification card.
Gov. Janet Napolitano signed a bill Tuesday making it illegal for Arizona to implement REAL ID, passed by Congress in 2005. Her reasons were not based on civil liberties, but on REAL ID being yet another unfunded federal mandate.
Although, as Capitol Media Services reported in Wednesday’s Tribune, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official blustered about there being “real consequencesâ€
Posted on Sat, Jun. 21, 2008
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Air travelers now must show ID to clear checkpoint
By BRYON OKADA
okada@star-telegram.com
D/FW AIRPORT — Every once in a while an air traveler will refuse to show identification at security checkpoints arguing that the government doesn’t have the right to ask to "see one’s papers."
Well, starting today, any passengers who willfully refuse to show identification won’t be allowed through the checkpoints.
"They’re refusing to comply with the security processes," said Andrea McCauley, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration.
What if I lost my ID?
On average, about 300 airline passengers a day go through airport security nationwide without identification.
They lost it.
It was stolen.
They forgot and left it at home.
All are legitimate reasons, say officials with the TSA, and with some extra screening they’ll be fine.
Are there privacy concerns?
Some privacy advocates worry that this may be another step toward Americans having to carry documentation for any sort of travel.
In addition, smaller programs like this, applicable to just a few people, can be seen as precursors to more widespread federal programs such as REAL ID.
What is REAL ID?
Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, and it went into effect May 11. It is intended to make it more difficult to acquire a fake driver’s license or ID card and was endorsed by the 9/11 Commission as a way to fight terrorism. States are required to overhaul driver’s licenses and ID cards, which will likely cost tens of millions of dollars, and encode them with hard-to-fake data on the face of the card, such as:
information and security features to prevent fraud;
proof of identity and U.S. citizenship or legal status;
verification of the source documents for personal information;
security measures by the offices that issue licenses and identification cards.
Texas and other states have gained extensions for implementing REAL ID, so a current driver’s license is still acceptable as a form of ID for boarding federally regulated airplanes, or accessing federal facilities or nuclear power plants. For more information, go to www.dhs.gov and search for REAL ID.
On Friday, the DHS announced $80 million in state grants to push REAL ID forward. Texas received $3.2 million.
Am I excluded from REAL ID if I’m an undocumented immigrant?
It looks that way. States must verify an applicant’s lawful status in the U.S. before issuing a REAL ID license or card. (The REAL ID Act does not prohibit a state from issuing noncompliant driver’s licenses and state identification. Those, however, cannot be accepted by federal agencies for official purposes, including boarding commercial aircraft, and must be clearly marked as not acceptable for federal purposes.)
BRYON OKADA, 817-390-7752
http://www.star-telegram.com/travel/story/714015.html
AT LEAST REP JIM GUEST FOUGHT HARD AGAINST THIS A MAN WHO TRULY LOVES FREEDOM.
Missouri to build interface for Real ID
By Ben Bain
Published on June 20, 2008
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Maine gets extension for Real ID program
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The Homeland Security Department today announced it has awarded $17 million to Missouri's state government to lead the development of a common interface that states will use to verify documents that individuals use to apply for state-issued identification as part of the Real ID program.
The “verification hubâ€
Missouri wins Real ID grant contest
By Sarah Lohman
POST-DISPATCH WASHINGTON BUREAU
06/21/2008
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday that Missouri had won a competition to receive a $17.5 million grant to develop a large part of the government's new Real ID program — a plan to make drivers licenses and IDs secure from fraud.
The department announced that $79 million will be granted to 48 states and territories to help them comply with the Real ID plan, which was developed as part of the 9/11 Commission Report to prevent people from fraudulently getting a license with false information or acquiring multiple licenses.
Missouri will get the biggest share after being chosen to develop the "verification hub" — which would connect department of motor vehicle offices in one state with another state's databases.
Florida, Indiana, Nevada and Wisconsin will each receive $1.2 million to help Missouri. Illinois stands to get about $2.3 million to implement the system.
"Americans overwhelmingly want secure identification, and this funding will help those states working to provide it," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement.
The hub will provide easy access for department of motor vehicles offices to government records such as birth certificates, Social Security numbers and state-ID histories.
Omar Davis, Missouri's director of revenue, said every state's information will not be contained in one location. He said a server will allow information to be exchanged instantaneously, eliminating the delays of phone calls or faxes.
Around the country, the program's requirements will be carried out by whichever state agency issues drivers licenses, said Amy Kudwa, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security. She said the new program shouldn't result in any extra delays for people applying for legitimate licenses.
Secretaries of state or other state agencies would be required to incorporate information and security features into each card.
Workers at motor vehicle offices would be required to:
— Verify the source documents provided by applicants to prove the applicant's identity and U.S. citizenship or legal status.
— Check if the applicant has been issued a license or ID in another state.
— Verify that the applicant's Social Security number is valid and belongs to that applicant.
States will be required to meet the new standards by Dec. 31, 2009. By Dec. 31, 2014, all license holders age 50 or younger must have IDs that comply with the new requirements.
Real IDs, or a passport, will be required to fly on a commercial airplane, get inside a nuclear plant or enter a federal building — even the Gateway Arch, Griffith said.
slohman@post-dispatch.com 202-298-6880
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/s ... enDocument
Better be on the watch for 50+ terorists entering Federal Buildings or getting on planes.Quote:
States will be required to meet the new standards by Dec. 31, 2009. By Dec. 31, 2014, all license holders age 50 or younger must have IDs that comply with the new requirements.
Connecting the State databases makes it a national database and that makes it a national id card. Welcome to prewar Germany.Quote:
Missouri will get the biggest share after being chosen to develop the "verification hub" — which would connect department of motor vehicle offices in one state with another state's databases.
Digimarc Receives Part of $80 Mln. FY2008 REAL ID Demonstration Grants For 26 States
6/22/2008 4:28 AM ET
(RTTNews) - Digimarc Corp. (DMRC: News, Chart, Quote ) said twenty-six of its states received a portion of the nearly $80 million REAL ID Demonstration Grants announced by the Department of Homeland Security in fiscal year 2008. More than $58 million was awarded to support state-specific programs to achieve REAL ID material compliance. Funding was also provided for the development and testing of the verification hub that will enable all states to verify applicant proof-of-identity documents.
Based in Beaverton, Oregon, Digimarc Corp. is a supplier of secure identity and media management solutions
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com
http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx ... 929&SMap=1
AAMVA to build REAL ID verification hub
By Michael Hampton
Posted: June 22, 2008 2:27 pm
Updated: June 22, 2008 3:04 pm
Share this story: Digg del.icio.us reddit.com Newsvine
[b]The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators received a no-bid contract worth millions of dollars to implement a “verification hubâ€
Independent film maker eyes Guest
by Alyson E. Raletz
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A state representative from King City who doubles as a radio talk show host could end up on the big screen, too.
Independent film maker William Lewis interviewed Rep. Jim Guest, a Republican, on Monday for about two hours. He'll use the footage for a new documentary on Americans’ "loss of rights and freedoms," according to an e-mail from the legislator.
"William Lewis Productions/Bridgestone Media Group chose Rep. Guest from legislators all over the U.S. for his record on protecting citizens' constitutional guarantees," he wrote.
Mr. Guest told the News-Press the interview focused mainly on the national movement he's leading against the Federal Real ID Act of 2005, which authorizes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to set requirements for national driver's licenses.
Mr. Guest and a slew of other politicians nationwide oppose the law because of privacy concerns and have challenged its constitutionality.
While in King City Monday, Mr. Lewis shot additional footage of the wind farm and also interviewed residents on their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with federal government.
Mr. Lewis recently had returned from the Breckenridge Film Festival in Colorado, where his film "Washington You’re Fired!" premiered.
Mr. Guest met the film maker earlier this year when he appeared as a guest on "The Jim Guest Show," where the Republican discusses the above issues at length with featured speakers.
The show airs through satellite feed to FM radio stations around the country, but reaps most of its listenership from the Web. His show starts at 9 a.m. on Sundays at www.thejimguestshow.com through Republic Broadcasting.
Mr. Lewis said he needed subjects for an upcoming film, so he scheduled a trip to King City.
Mr. Guest said he's unsure when the film will be completed.
http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2008/jun/ ... yes-guest/
Maine group questions Real ID grant
June 24, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine—Maine is receiving a $1 million federal grant to bring the state closer to compliance with the Real ID anti-terrorism law.
The Maine Civil Liberties Union says the Department of Homeland Security grant can be used for facial recognition technology and other driver's license security measures to bring the state into compliance with Real ID. But the MCLU points out that Maine is barred by state law from compliance with the 2007 law.
A separate law passed this year bolsters Maine driver's license security. Passage of the law removed the threat that state residents would be put through extra security when boarding planes or entering federal facilities. The MCLU supports efforts to repeal that law through a ballot initiative.
Gov. John Baldacci supports the license law, which he says is not Real ID. Baldacci says the state can receive the federal grant without being Real ID compliant.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/ ... _id_grant/
Commentary - Jim Harper: A good way to save $80 million? Junk REAL ID program
Article History
There are updates to this article.
Jun 25, 2008 3:00 AM (1 day ago) by Jim Harper, The Examiner
Filed under: WASHINGTON , Jim Harper , Think Tanking
Comment on this article
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The Department of Homeland Security is throwing good money after bad. Congress should immediately rescind this spending and repeal the national ID law.
In May, the deadline for state compliance with the REAL ID Act passed without a single state meeting the national ID law’s requirements.
Now we see that the DHS’s grant-making process is in collapse, and it can’t even buy state participation.
Many states have barred themselves by law from implementing REAL ID, and grant applications from other states were described by an insider as “very poor.â€
More states frustrated over Real ID
Thursday, June 26 2008
Homeland Security starts writing checks but states are still frsutrated
http://admin.avisian.com/images/realid_border_small.gif
By Zack Martin, Editor
Real ID came out of the 9/11 Commission recommendations suggesting states should do more to identify individuals applying for driver license and state IDs. This was in response to the fact that some of the 9/11 hijackers were able to obtain multiple driver licenses from different states.
To say the law is controversial is an understatement. The 2005 legislation is the new boogeyman. Some say it’s the first stop toward a national ID and eventually a police state where every citizen will have to present his or her “papersâ€
Episode 17: Maine has privacy concerns with Real ID
Tuesday, July 1 2008
At least 12 states have passed legislation saying they won't comply with Real ID, the federal mandate to secure state-issues IDs and driver licenses. Lawmakers in Main have been particularly outspoken regarding the law. Regarding ID Editor Zack Martin speaks with Maine State Sen. Phil Bartlett about the law and why the state has some concerns.
Download MP3.
http://www.regardingid.com/audio/episode17_062608.mp3
http://www.rfidnews.org/news/2008/07/01 ... h-real-id/
REAL ID, real scary
Missouri won the "right" to institutionalize a totalitarian agenda when it received a contract award for REAL ID authentication ("Missouri wins Real ID grant contest," June 21). Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told a bald-faced untruth when he said the citizens of this country wanted REAL ID. Ten states have refused to implement REAL ID; 13 have laws in the works to stop its implementation, including Missouri.
The REAL ID future plan is to implement its use across state lines. In other words, if you want to go from Kansas to Missouri you need REAL ID.
I hope, "Give me your papers" won't become a part of our culture. This country needs to be awakened from its coma.
Joseph Grossmann | Florissant
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/s ... enDocument
Vehicle renewals to cost $5 more at DMV offices
In-person fee aims to shift transactions to phone or Internet
Sunday, Jun 29, 2008 - 12:09 AM
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By JIM NOLAN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Starting July 1, renewing your motor-vehicle registration at one of Virginia's 74 Department of Motor Vehicles offices is going to cost you more than a wait.
Try another $5.
Renewing your registration in person will cost $44, up from $39.
The increase, which the General Assembly approved this year in Senate Bill 116, is part of an effort to shift many routine DMV customer services to the phone or Internet.
The result, officials say, will save the department money and mean less waiting in line at DMV branches. It also will free employees to help customers with more complex transactions, and allow the department to begin preparing to implement the federally mandated Real ID program in late 2009. That law, which Congress passed in 2005, sets national standards for state-issued driver's licenses.
"We'd like to reduce waiting lines, and it's cheaper on a transactional basis," said DMV Commissioner D.B. Smit.
"We're also looking at Real ID, and we've got to clear out a lot of space to make room for folks that are going to have to come in to our customer-service centers to get their driver's license renewed when it comes into effect."
Officials say nearly 99 percent of vehicle-registration renewals can be processed without going to a DMV office. Currently, only 65 percent of Virginia car owners renew by mail, phone or Internet.
The $5 surcharge stick is not without a carrot -- those who register online will receive a $1 discount on the current fee and avoid the $5 surcharge. Those who renew for a two-year period will receive a $2 discount.
Those who renew registrations by mail will also avoid the $5 surcharge, as will those who use the DMV's automated phone service.
The $5 surcharge will be waived if a customer has to use the service center for an additional transaction that cannot be completed through any other means.
Officials note that only a handful of transactions need to be done in person at a DMV customer-service center. Among them are the first-time application for a driver's license, obtaining a commercial driver's license and obtaining an identification card.
DMV has until December 2009 to implement the first stage of the Real ID Act.
The complex act will, in part, establish electronic databases to verify identifications people use to board airplanes and enter federal facilities.
Eventually, every driver in the state will have to come to a DMV customer-service center to renew their license for the first time after the law is implemented.
Officials say it will bring 250,000 more people into DMV offices each year, which they say is another reason to encourage customers now, by means of a surcharge, to avoid using the offices for the easy transactions.
"We're going to start moving that traffic out and backfilling with much more complex transactions," Smit said. "This creates the space that we otherwise would not have."
Contact Jim Nolan at (804) 649-6061 or jnolan@timesdispatch.com
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx. ... -0118.html
Published: June 29, 2008 10:14 pm
Real ID still being eyed by lawmaker
By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter
CHARLESTON — Just how much personal data on American citizens does the federal government need in its vast network of computer files to safeguard the homeland from terrorists and keep track of illegal aliens?
For two men generally on opposite sides of the political spectrum, that is the heart of their opposition to Real ID.
“The issue is still the issue of privacy,â€
Real ID not needed, invades privacy
July 02, 2008
Editor, the Record:
I am sorely disappointed in the vote by Representatives Scavello and Siptroth on Wednesday against Representative Rohrer's amendment to HB 2537.
Sam Rohrer's bill, HB 1351, opposes implementation of Real ID in Pennsylvania. Rather than allow it out of committee onto the floor for a vote, Representative Curtis Thomas engaged in a shameful program of holding "hearings" in various Pennsylvania locations. His stated objective was to hear from the people.
After seeing what went on at the hearing in Scranton, I have concluded that Thomas was there merely to try to convince the public that Real ID is badly needed. At the hearing, I heard plenty of testimony from the public against it.
Clearly, the people are not crying out for more government intrusion, but less. In my estimation, this is a clear-cut case of government run amok attempting to force upon the people something which they do not want.
As if to rub salt into this wound, Thomas introduced his own Real ID bill (HB 2537) and fast-tracked it through his committee and onto the floor for a vote, while Representative Rohrer's bill accumulated dust for over a year. This is shameful.
The major difference in the bills is that the Thomas bill omits prohibitions against biometric data gathering by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. PennDOT has already converted our DL photos over to biometric data without our permission. That data can now be added to a nationwide database, and shared with other governments and the United Nations.
Rohrer's amendment would have added back into Thomas's bill that prohibition for the protection of the rights and privacy of Pennsylvania citizens.
Mr. Siptroth and Scavello are seriously wrong about this issue. They have voted against the people and the Constitution of this Commonwealth.
DANIEL WOLFE
Gouldsboro
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http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.d ... /807020308
Signature effort takes place
By MATTHEW STONE
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 07/06/2008
Signature-gathering volunteers seeking to repeal Maine legislators’ April decision to comply with federal REAL ID provisions staked out civic celebrations across the state this weekend.
As the results of their signature collection push filter in, however, leaders of the effort to bring the REAL ID question before voters in November are still uncertain how close they have come to the 55,087-signature threshold.
“I just don’t know,â€
Repeal Real ID: Petition progress not yet known
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By Matthew Stone Kennebec Journal Staff Writer July 05, 2008 01:47 PM
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Signature-gathering volunteers seeking to repeal Maine legislators' decision to comply with federal Real ID provisions staked out civic celebrations across the state this weekend.
As the results of their signature collection push filter in, however, leaders of the effort to land the Real ID question before voters in November are still uncertain how close they have come to the 55,087-signature threshold.
"I just don't know," said Lu Bauer, one of three people coordinating the repeal effort. "We've got a big push on right now. Certainly a lot are being collected."
The group faces a July 17 deadline to turn in the more than 55,000 signatures -- equal to a third of the votes cast in the 2006 gubernatorial contest -- to the Secretary of State's office. Volunteers, however, must have their petitions certified by local clerks before submitting them to the Secretary of State.
http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/nu_c ... p?id=29808