Maine Legislature Passes First-In-The Nation Resolution Urging the Repeal of the Real ID Act
January 25, 2007
Video of today’s Senate debate is online at http://www.mainesenate.org/realid
AUGUSTA—The Maine Senate and House today voted nearly unanimously to approve a joint resolution urging Congress and the President to Repeal the Real ID Act of 2005. The passage of the resolution makes Maine the first state in the country to do so. Real ID requires states to turn their driver’s licenses into national ID cards that will be part of a 50-state shared database.
During floor debate in both legislative chambers, lawmakers pointed out that Real ID could cost Maine taxpayers approximately $185 million to implement. In addition to the monetary impact Real ID would have, lawmakers were equally concerned about the privacy issues that the Act raises.
Following the resolution’s passage, Senate Majority Libby Mitchell, D-Kennebec County, the sponsor of the resolution said, “The federal government may be willing to burden us with the high costs of a program that will do nothing to make us safer, but it is our job as state Legislators to protect the people of Maine from just this sort of dangerous federal mandate.” Senator Mitchell added, “I am proud that this state has led the way in taking a stand against Real ID.”
"The REAL ID Act is not only a massive unfunded federal mandate, but it also puts Maine people at increased risk," said House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven. "We cannot be spending millions of state dollars on an initiative that does more harm to our state than good."
A copy of the resolution and speeches from senators from today’s debate is online at http://www.mainesenate.org/realid
Real ID has gained the ire of privacy advocates, who say linking driver’s licenses and state ID cards to a national database will create a goldmine of accessible information for identity thieves. The Real ID Act requires the cards to include a computer-readable zone, which privacy advocates say will allow anyone with a reader to collect the personal identifying information of anyone with a card.
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