Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-2nd District, recently urged the Maine State Legislature and Gov. Paul LePage to act swiftly to make sure the state is in compliance with the federal REAL ID law.
Poliquin sent a letter to Maine’s government leaders March 3, outlining what he says the appropriate steps are as indicated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to a news release from his office.
Writing that Maine is in a “dire situation,” he said that the state’s driver’s licenses are “increasingly no longer acceptable forms of identification to access federal buildings and facilities.” He said affects Maine businesses whose employees can’t access federal job sites, as well as first responders and veterans.
Poliquin is the latest to urge the State to comply with the law, which the federal government says is necessary to prevent terrorism and fraud. The Homeland Security department will no longer accept IDs that do not comply beginning next year, ad many federal facilities have already stopped accepting them. A passport is still considered an acceptable ID under the law, since it is consistent across the U.S. and complies with federal standards.
Maine is one of five states listed as fully non-compliant after the legislature voted in 2007 to reject Real ID. Compliant driver’s licenses must have the holder’s full legal name, signature, date of birth, gender, unique identifying number, principal residence address, front-facing photograph, as well as identifying marks common to all 50 states and using specific documentation to get the license. Maine’s does not meet all that criteria after LePage and the legislature determined it was an invasion of privacy, and a state law was passed saying Maine wouldn’t comply.
Maine in the state said the data sharing and some other provisions were an invasion of privacy and that the ID would be too expensive to enforce. Legislation has been introduced this session by state Rep. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, to get the state into compliance, however.
Poliquin said in his later that the Maine Office of the Secretary of State provided incorrect information to legislators regarding the implementation process.
Poliquin said that the Department of Homeland Security has indicated that taking concrete steps and offering a written commitment to repeal the Maine resolution rejecting the law, the state will “provide the necessary evidence needed for a good faith implementation delay” until June 6.
“Immediately following the repeal, Maine will then need to outline the remaining steps for compliance by creating a set of self-imposed deadlines to receive an extension until October 10,” Poliquin wrote.
