Driver's license rules toughen

[savafan]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/11577122.htm

BY FRANK DAVIES

fdavies@herald.com

WASHINGTON - Getting or renewing a driver's license would take more time and effort under a security measure approved by the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday. The Senate is expected to pass a similar measure next week.

National standards for driver's licenses will discourage illegal immigration and make it harder for terrorists to get documents to evade security, supporters of the bill said. Critics, including some state officials, said the new requirements would be burdensome and expensive, won't enhance security and are a step toward a national ID card.

The license provision is part of an $82 billion special spending bill, with $75.9 billion going to the armed forces for Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas missions. It passed the House 368-58.

Those licensing provisions weren't controversial. But the driver's license requirements and other immigration-related measures drew criticism from immigration advocates and some state officials who said the provisions were included without hearings. By attaching those provisions to a must-pass spending bill, House Republican leaders ''are shoving these extreme measures down our throats,'' said Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y.

She said it was an ''underhanded attempt'' toward establishing a national ID card by setting standards for licenses and requiring states to share data.

Applicants for driver's licenses would have to show proof of citizenship or legal residency, document a home address and provide a photo ID. State motor vehicle departments would have to verify the documents using federal databases, which could end same-day renewals. States would have three years to comply with these requirements.

If a state didn't comply, its licenses wouldn't be allowed to be used as identification for boarding planes or entering federal buildings. Proponents of the bill, led by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said the tighter requirements, dubbed ''Real ID,'' were a common-sense security measure worth any extra cost. But state officials are wary of the cost. States issue or renew about 70 million licenses a year, and the new requirements could cost $100 million a year, said Cheye Calvo, of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

[Unassisted]

"She said it was an ''underhanded attempt'' toward establishing a national ID card by setting standards for licenses and requiring states to share data."

This country is probably the only country in the world that doesn't have a national identification system. Standardization of identification and sharing of information in this area doesn't strike me as a bad thing when the goals are to keep tabs on illegal immigration and "make it harder for terrorists to get documents to evade security."

[919191]

"She said it was an ''underhanded attempt'' toward establishing a national ID card by setting standards for licenses and requiring states to share data."

This country is probably the only country in the world that doesn't have a national identification system. Standardization of identification and sharing of information in this area doesn't strike me as a bad thing when the goals are to keep tabs on illegal immigration and "make it harder for terrorists to get documents to evade security."

You sound like you are one of those people who don't realize those Kroger cards are the government's way of tracking your grocery haabits. :p:

[KronoRed]

You sound like you are one of those people who don't realize those Kroger cards are the government's way of tracking your grocery haabits. :p:

What?!?

So that's why the IRS wanted to know how much I spent on apple juice last year ;)

[savafan]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/immigration_driver_s_licenses



By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 8 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - States are threatening to challenge in court and even disobey new orders from Congress to start issuing more uniform driver's licenses and verify the citizenship or legal status of people getting them.

There is concern among some states that they'll get stuck with a large tab to pay for implementing the new rules and that getting a driver's license will become a bigger headache for law-abiding residents.

"Governors are looking at all their options. If more than half of the governors agree we're not going down without a fight on this, Congress will have to consider changing this unfunded federal mandate," said Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, vice chairman of the National Governors Association. A Huckabee aide said the options include court action.

States fear the new rules may force applicants to make more than one trip to motor vehicle departments, once to provide documents such as birth certificates that states must verify and a second time to pick up the license, state officials said.

"What passed is something that will be an enormous amount of work and it's questionable what it's going to yield," said Democrat Matt Dunlap, Maine's secretary of state. "Is it going to yield national security or is it going to be hassle for people already complying with the law?"

The immigration requirements were attached to an $82 billion spending package for military operations and construction in
Iraq and
Afghanistan that the House passed last week. The Senate is expected to vote this week and send the bill to
President Bush.

"We'd like to work with people to implement the needed reform and will be very disappointed if these groups thwart these important rules," said Jeff Lungren, spokesman for Wisconsin Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner, who wrote the new requirements.

Sensenbrenner said last week that waiting a little longer in line is "a small price to pay" to prevent future terrorism.

All but one of the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks had some form of U.S. identification, some of it fraudulent, the Sept. 11 Commission found. The commission recommended the federal government set standards for birth certificates and other identification documents, including driver's licenses.

Some states already have been increasing their license requirements, but their work may not be enough.

Maine's motor vehicle department is upgrading its computer system. But the upgrade doesn't include computer coding to comply with at least one of the new rules: ensure driver's licenses issued to temporary legal residents expire when the resident's authorized time in the U.S. is up.

"That adds to the cost and throws everything into the woods," Dunlap said.

Virginia's motor vehicle department estimated it would have to spend $237 million to comply with the bill passed by the House if it maintains its current level of customer service. Some changes to the final legislation could alter the estimate, a spokeswoman said.

The bill allows the Homeland Security secretary to offer grants to help states to comply, but doesn't provide money.

States will have three years after the president signs the bill to obey the rules. If they don't, their residents won't be able to board planes or enter federally protected buildings.

States also question how they will verify birth certificates, whose appearance vary widely by state and county. Dunlap said his state has only a portion of birth certificates online.

Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia verify
Social Security numbers online with the federal government or by another method, said Mark Lassiter,
Social Security Administration spokesman.

In fiscal 2004, which ended Sept. 30, Social Security handled 18 million verification requests, rejecting 2 million numbers, Lassiter said. But the system isn't foolproof.

California found many numbers were rejected for women who failed to change their name with when they married, said Bill Branch, motor vehicle department spokesman.

Another concern for states is preventing identity theft if licenses carry more information, said Michael Balboni, a Republican New York state senator. Balboni and Dunlap represented the National Conference of State Legislatures on a now defunct panel Congress created in December to design new driver's license rules. The conference opposes the new rules.

"What's so ironic about this bill is everybody agrees with the concept, one person, one driver's license," Balboni said. "How you get there is really the tough issue."

___

The bill is HR 1268

[LincolnparkRed]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/11577122.htm



Applicants for driver's licenses would have to show proof of citizenship or legal residency, document a home address and provide a photo ID. State motor vehicle departments would have to verify the documents using federal databases, which could end same-day renewals. States would have three years to comply with these requirements.



possibly ending sameday renewals is draw back enough, because I know that I really want to spend more time with the great people at the Illinois DMV

[RedFanAlways1966]

Anyone got a problem with this? Try being a diabetic! A 10-time DUI loser with no address probably gets a license renewal quicker than me (never had a citation in my 23 years of driving). And if there is a ridiculous delay after I mail (not e-mail... we are talkin' gov't here) the paperwork to Columbus? I have to call a non-toll-free number and hope that someone can help me. No one will get a tear-wiping kleenex from me.

Are we supposed to feel sorry for illegal immigrants or terrorists? Why would any tax-paying citizen of this country have a problem with these guidelines? Because their little bit of time is more important than protecting ourselves. Gee... how selfish.


States fear the new rules may force applicants to make more than one trip to motor vehicle departments, once to provide documents such as birth certificates that states must verify and a second time to pick up the license, state officials said.

More than one trip? Whoopie!!! Two trips every four years. So much worse than one trip every four years. One extra trip every four years to make my country safer? The pain of it all! A loss of civil freedom! My answer... driving is a privelege. If ya don't like it, then don't drive. Simple solution.