[Infowarrior] - Washington Governor Signs Bill Rejecting REAL ID

[Richard Forno]

(yet another state does the right thing........rf)

Washington Governor Signs Bill Rejecting REAL ID (4/18/2007)
http://www.aclu.org/privacy/gen/29426prs20070418.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: media at aclu.org

State Rebellion against De Facto National ID Card Spreads

SEATTLE, WA - As part of a growing state rebellion, Gov. Christine Gregoire
today signed a bill rejecting REAL ID, a new federal identification system
that would create a de facto national ID card. Legislatures in four other
states ­ Maine, Idaho, Arkansas and Montana ­ also have adopted measures
opposing REAL ID, and lawmakers in more than 20 other states are considering
similar action. 

The measure will prohibit state implementation of the REAL ID Act, unless
the federal government fully funds it and provides stronger protections for
the privacy of Washington drivers. The measure (SB 5087) passed both
chambers of the legislature with bipartisan support, including an
overwhelming 95-2 vote in the House. Senator Mary Margaret Haugen (D-Camano
Island) was the bill¹s prime sponsor, and Senators Dan Swecker (R-Rochester)
and Ed Murray (D-Seattle) were cosponsors.

³Lawmakers from both parties took a strong stand against REAL ID. It would
threaten personal privacy, as well as create a bureaucratic nightmare to
implement,² said American Civil Liberties Union of Washington Legislative
Director Jennifer Shaw.

Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act requires states to produce
standardized driver¹s licenses and to store the drivers¹ information in
nationally connected databases ­ creating a de facto national ID card. By
placing personally identifiable information in databases accessible across
the country, REAL ID makes the information more vulnerable to identity theft
and misuse.

The law requires states to start issuing these licenses by Dec. 31, 2009,
but it did not set aside funds to make that possible. In Washington, the net
costs of implementing this new system would be approximately $50 million per
year for the first five years, according to a survey by the American
Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

REAL ID has drawn opposition from organizations across the political
spectrum, including the American Bar Association, the American Conservative
Union, the Council of State Governments, Gun Owners of America, the National
Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Conference of State
Legislatures and the National Governors Association.

More information about REAL ID is available online at:
www.realnightmare.org.