POLICY FORUM
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
12:00 PM (Luncheon to Follow)
Featuring Mark Sanford, Republican Governor of South Carolina and Jon Tester, Democratic U.S. Senator from Montana. Moderated by Jim Harper, Cato Institute.
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On May 11, 2008, the statutory deadline for compliance with the REAL ID Act will pass without a single state meeting its requirements. Indeed, more than 17 states have passed legislation objecting to or outright refusing to implement this national ID law. Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security handed out extensions of the compliance deadline just for the asking, but state leaders from across the ideological spectrum refused even this small gesture of acquiescence. A REAL ID rebellion is underway, and it has ushered in a debate on whether the United States should have a national ID system. The debate didn’t happen when the law passed because Congress held no hearings, and there was no up-or-down vote on REAL ID in the Senate. Votes this year on REAL ID funding, or perhaps repeal of the national ID law, will reveal where Members of Congress stand on the question whether law-abiding American citizens should be practically or legally required to carry a national ID. Please join us to hear two prominent leaders present their distinct perspectives on REAL ID, identification policy, national and individual security, identity fraud, and privacy.
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1 comment:
Reasons for optimism and pessimism:
The Cato program highlighted Governors like those in South Carolina and Montana that are solidly opposed to REAL ID. One is a conservative Republican, and one is a conservative Democrat. Folks are starting to wake up. Yesterday, we got some more good news. The governor of Wisconsin took mony that had been set aside for REAL ID, and has reassigned it for other uses. And in Minnesota, conservatives and liberals teamed up to override Pawlenty's attempt to keep REAL ID on life support:
http://hometownsource.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5005&Itemid=29
However, just as REAL ID is faltering, DHS is repackaging it under a different law called WHTI to bring us 'enhanced drivers licenses', which is essentially REAL ID by a different name. Washington State is already issueing these, and they include a RFID chip. It would seem REAL ID is just one part of a much bigger battle to brand every American citizen like a piece of beef.
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