States set to fight, defy driver’s license rules

Woodmonkey · 05-11-2005, 14:46

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States set to fight, defy driver’s license rules

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Object to new federal requirements with no funding.

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.

‘An enormous amount of work’
“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 Senate passed Tuesday, sending it on to President Bush. The House passed the bill last week.

“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.

No money for states
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 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

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Shooterman · 05-11-2005, 15:01

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Originally Posted by Woodmonkey

Click here to see the source of this story

Another Gubmint Boondoggle that will prove, I'm sure to be as useless as teats on a boar hog. Not quite as useless as Homeland Security, or the AWB, or the Drug Prescription Plan, but ranking right there with some of the best.

This was discussed on another forum I visit, and I pointed out to them, as well, a couple of things.

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

Usually I kind of like Sensebrenner, but does anyone with an IQ more than single digits, believe Ol' James has to wait in line very much for anything? Come on down to SE Texas if you do, I've got some prime beachfront property to sell you. It's about a mile out in the Gulf.

"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.

Duh, some of it fraudulent. Nothing like understating the case, eh?

Woodmonkey · 05-11-2005, 16:31

As usual, you make excellent points. However (and you knew that was coming), as long as drivers' licenses lead to other things like social security cards to name just one, then there must be some kind of criteria that restricts who gets them and how long they are valid. Legal immigrants and those with work/education visas come with time limits stated on them. I fail to see why it is so hard to require people to bring them in when they apply for a driver's license, or why it would cost so much.

Shooterman · 05-11-2005, 17:06

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Originally Posted by Woodmonkey

As usual, you make excellent points. However (and you knew that was coming),

Yes'm, Miss Katie, I always wait for the next shoe to drop, and hope it's not on my toe.

[/quote] as long as drivers' licenses lead to other things like social security cards to name just one,[/quote]

Sorry, Miss Katie, but which comes first, the egg or the chicken, or in this case, the SS card or the drivers license.

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then there must be some kind of criteria that restricts who gets them and how long they are valid. Legal immigrants and those with work/education visas come with time limits stated on them.

Don't necessarily have a problem with immigration associated issues being tied to drivers license, 'course alldon't drive, but established citizens?

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I fail to see why it is so hard to require people to bring them in when they apply for a driver's license, or why it would cost so much.

My problem is this deals with a little more than drivers licenses, i. e. with mandatory National ID cards. Or is this a different thing. What is our country coming to when it becomes necessary to account to any Tom, Dick, and/or Harry, our right as American citizens.

Bluehawk · 05-12-2005, 05:26

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Originally Posted by Woodmonkey

As usual, you make excellent points. However (and you knew that was coming), as long as drivers' licenses lead to other things like social security cards to name just one, then there must be some kind of criteria that restricts who gets them and how long they are valid. Legal immigrants and those with work/education visas come with time limits stated on them. I fail to see why it is so hard to require people to bring them in when they apply for a driver's license, or why it would cost so much.

And, I'd be willing to bet a sizable amount that the ONLY real reason any State would get knotted shorts about this national driver license proposal is the money the States think they will lose by nationalizing (aka federalizing) what should have been standard when the first license was issued.

We need, maybe, to look at it this way...

1. Since the Federal government has assigned itself the right to override decisions of States pretty much whenever they feel like they can get away with it, in spite of our 10th Amendment.

2. And, since there are certain public welfare matters (such as the Age of Majority, driving licenses etc.) which are better off being universally the same in all 50 States than a confused jumble when anyone crosses a border.

3. Then, let's get with it and become a federal Republic on some of these issues and quit foolin' around straddling the barbed wire fence like we do.

Too bad the EU, and pretty soon the African continent too, have chosen to model themselves after OUR form of democracy. Just what we all need more of in this world is schizos.

JohnRN · 05-12-2005, 06:58

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Originally Posted by Shooterman

My problem is this deals with a little more than drivers licenses, i. e. with mandatory National ID cards.

Ta-DA!