FW: [IP] Real ID dealt a major blow in Maine.

More on Real ID from the ACLU  

-----Original Message-----
Begin forwarded message:

From: "Steinhardt, Barry" <Bsteinhardt@dcaclu.org>
Date: January 25, 2007 6:26:21 PM EST
To: dave@farber.net
Subject: Real ID dealt a major blow in Maine.

Dave,

The Real ID/national ID scheme has just been dealt a major blow in 
Maine. This morning the State  Legislature overwhelmingly-unanimously 
in the Senate and 137-4 in the House-- passed a joint resolution 
prohibiting Maine from participating in Real ID and calling on 
Congress to repeal the law. Similar actions are pending or about to 
be introduced across the country from New Hampshire, to Georgia, to 
New Mexicoto Washington State and Hawaii.

The Real ID Act federalizes the design, issuance and management of 
state driver's licenses, creating a uniform identity card and 
nationwide database tantamount to the first national ID card. Under 
the act, residents of states that fail or refuse to comply will be 
unable to use their driver's licenses for any activity that requires 
federally accepted identification, such as boarding airplanes, 
opening a bank account or any other activity designated by the 
Department of Homeland Security.

We believe these resolutions will sound the death knell for Real ID, 
which cannot work if the states will not accede to the plan to turn 
their drivers' licenses into the National ID card on steroids.

More detailed information can be found on our web site at 
http://www.realnightmare.org.

Barry Steinhardt
Director Technology and Liberty Project
ACLU
Bsteinhardt@aclu.org