Another State Rejects Real ID

This week Minnesota became the twenty-third state to reject the Real ID Act of 2005 as Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty signed legislation amending changes to the state’s voting procedures, in large response to the ongoing Senate recount. The Real ID Act of 2005 seeks to turn state drivers licenses into national identification cards by imposing federal standards for the issuance of all state drivers licenses.
According to the Act, each card issued must provide among other things the person’s full legal name, signature, date of birth, gender, present address, and verification of legal status. The Act also requires states hold this private information in a single database accessible to any and all state and federal officials. The cost of creating and maintaining such a database remains unknown and a principle reason why the National Governor’s Association and the National Conference on State Legislatures strongly oppose the Act.
Groups from both the right and the left challenge the legislation on Constitutional grounds. Many argue that the Act violates the Tenth Amendment that reserves those areas of federal power not enumerated in the Constitution to the states. Others argue that it is an unnecessary intrusion into individual privacy and will encourage additional and unwarranted surveillance by the federal government on everyday citizens.

It appears as though the Obama Administration is listening to the protests of Minnesotans and the citizens of twenty-two other states. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is on record as favoring a comprehensive review of the legislation based on the Administration’s belief that the states were not consulted enough prior to enactment. During the campaign President Obama was the only candidate flat-out against the legislation. Considering Governor Pawlenty’s 2012 Presidential ambitions, some were surprised by his signature on the bill, particularly since he openly supported both the Act and one of the Act’s greatest champions, John McCain. Perhaps Minnesota is the canary in the coal mine for the repeal of the Real ID Act of 2005.

Read more: civil rights, minnesota, pawlenty, real id act of 2005

photo courtesy of cd.harrison via Flickr

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Past Member .

1:13PM PDT on May 29, 2009

DISHONEST RACIST ANTI-CHRIST BRITISH,US AND CANADIAN POLICE IN UNIFORMS PERPETUATE RACISM IN CONNIVANCE WITH RACIST ANTI-CHRIST DISHONEST BRITISH AND CANADIAN NEIGHBORS TO ILLEGALLY AND UNWARRANTEDLY USE WALL SEE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, AUDIO LISTENING IN DEVICES, EMR VAN ECK PHREAKING EQUIPMENT, AND INTERNET, EMAIL, AND LANDLINE AND CELLPHONE TELEPHONE HACKING AGAINST ASIANS IN THEIR HOMES THROUGH WAILING SIRENS FROM OUTSIDE FOR EVERY LIVING BODY MOVEMENT OF ASIANS IN THEIR HOMES. INTERNET AND COMPUTER HACKING AND INFILTRATING INTO OTHERS PRIVACY IS A SERIOUS CRIME. IF THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ASIANS TODAY, IT CAN SOON HAPPEN TO OTHERS. WAKE UP!!!!

http://www.policeuniformshame.blogspot.com
http://www.privacyhackers.blogspot.com

Kuhn&Anderson(1998). Soft tempest: Hidden data transmission using electromagnetic emanations
http://groups.csail.mit.edu/cis/crypto/classes/6.857/papers/ih98-tempest.pdf

Bush, Steve. (2006, November 17). Police will use radar to see
through walls. http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2006/11/17/40181/Police+will+use+radar+to+see+through+walls.htm

Hearn, Kelly. (2001, April 18). High tech cop tools see through
walls.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0418-04.htm

Burke, J. and Warren, P. (2002). How mobile phones let spies
see our
every move. The Observer, October 13.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,811027,00.html

http://3nw.com/pda/radar_with_cell_phones__look_at_celldar.htm

send a green star

Paul C.

11:24PM PDT on May 27, 2009

NO GOVERNMENT needs to track the whereabouts of it's citizens this closely. There are some benefits to the system, from a safety perspective, in that criminals might be more easily tracked and apprehended. But, the potential for abuse overwhelms any benefits that might accrue. We don't need a nanny state that can track us anywhere and everywhere. (they already have a pretty effective system for tracking credit cards - one good reason not to have a credit card)

Alfred D.

4:03AM PDT on May 22, 2009

This is an issue hotly debated in the UK at present.The Government have already put in place in certain areas of the country a tial scheme to see how it works.The first people who are to recieve them are immigrants.This is to have amongst other things a peoples right to live in the country a sample of DNA number of court convivtions etc.I already have an electronic driving license what do I need an ID card for.What galls me is that I see it not only Government snooping _ all Government departments including the police will be able to access this information- but is a gross violation of my privacy.I am also expected to pay for the privilege of carrying this osequitous piece of plastic the sum of £30.00 or so.If the Government want me to cary this card then they ought to provide for fre

peggy o.

4:09AM PDT on May 21, 2009

BIG BROTHER'S A WATCHING YOU...................thanks, but no thanks

Jen M.

2:42PM PDT on May 20, 2009

The national ID card is just one more step from the Patriot Act that abuses it's power, to get into our business. Yeah, they passed it off as "oh, it's easier to track illegals." But they can screw with Americans as well. Soon eye scanners and they already have the finger print pad out. You might as well just walk into a jail, because if you so much as cough wrong, they got your fingerprint to track you down!!!! So to anyone in every state and country around the world, this is NOT a good thing for anyone!