ACLU Assesses Proposals to Amend Real ID Legislation

The Real ID program approved as part of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (S. 4) poses a serious threat to the privacy of all Americans, but a new bill co-sponsored by Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and John Sununu (R-NH) could address some of these concerns, according to the ACLU. Another proposal, sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), would add a two-year delay to implementation of the bill--and has been slammed by the ACLU. You might be wondering why.

Well, there are two commonly-cited reasons to oppose Real ID implementation. The first, and best, reason is that it violates the civil liberties of every American. But the second reason is that it's incredibly expensive for states, which have to foot the bill, to redesign their state photo ID systems on such short notice. The Collins bill would give states more time, reducing opposition to the bill--and perhaps allowing the civil liberties concerns to go unaddressed.

It's worth mentioning that Collins' own home state of Maine, which trends Republican, has refused to implement Real ID because of the cost--even though failure to do so means that Maine driver's licenses might no longer be accepted as valid identification at airports and federal buildings. Collins' two-year delay proposal might be a legitimate improvement to the Real ID implementation process for states, but first the more fundamental civil liberties concerns need to be addressed. The Akaka-Sununu proposal would accomplish this goal--at which point the secondary issue of state funding can be addressed.

Full Coverage: States Race to Reject Real ID Act