New Hampshire Real ID Faces Rejection

The Concord Monitor reports that after weeks of grassroots activism, rallies and nationwide media attention, a proposal to have New Hampshire reject a new driver’s license faces a vote in the state Senate today.

The bill, which would require New Hampshire to opt out of the federal “Real ID” program, passed the House last month and has gained much public support, the paper states.

According to the Monitor, supporters of the bill argue that the new “Real ID” license poses a threat to personal privacy and violates the state’s, “Live Free or Die” philosophy.

However, the bill could run into trouble in the state Senate vote. The article reports that some senators feel that Real ID critics are exaggerating their claims and that the new rules under the program would keep terrorists and immigrants from entering the country illegally.

The Real ID program maintains that states must adopt tighter requirements for handing out driver’s licenses, according to the Monitor, which includes verifying birth certificates, Social Security numbers, passports and immigration status of applicants. The licences must also be machine readable, and state databases need to be linked to national databases.

States have until 2009 to adopt the program, or their residents face having their license rejected at airports and federal buildings.

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By Paul Kerstein