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Missouri has asked the federal government for an extension on the Real ID Act which is supposed to take effect May 11th. State legislators across the country must decide whether or not they approve of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's new regulations on drivers licenses. They would require a digital copy of your social security card and birth certificate to be stored on the black strip on the back of your license. Many people say it makes them uncomfortable. KSMU's Greg Leuthen reports.
In 2005, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief was brought before Congress. Since the bill was primarily an effort to help aid the troops in Iraq and the victims of the Tsunami, Congress quickly approved it.
But there was another provision attached to this bill: The Real ID Act.
The idea behind the Real ID Act is to require anyone opening bank accounts, entering federal buildings, or boarding airplanes to present a Real ID: a uniform, national identity card. Those in favor of the act say it will prevent terrorism and make it nearly impossible to create fake IDs such as the ones used during the September 11th attacks.
But Jim Guest, a Missouri State Representative, disagrees. Guest says he strongly opposes the Act because, to create these Real ID cards, the Departments of Revenue in each state will have to copy and share all of your personal information.
Missouri drivers licenses already include license numbers, eye color, and legal name, but the Real ID Act would require the electronic strip on the back of the license to include even more, including copies of your social security card and birth certificate. Jim Guest says that if everyone's personal information were to be stored on their license and shared, it could create a global identity theft crisis.
Real ID cards are scheduled to be available on May 11, 2008, but only if state legislators approve it in their individual states. If the state legislators approve the Real ID Act, citizens would need to get one before boarding an airplane, entering federal buildings, or opening a bank account. Guest says that so far 20 states are opposed to the Real ID Act, but Missouri is still undecided.
David Griffith, the public information officer for the Missouri Department of Revenue, says the state has applied for an extension on the decision that will go through 2011, allowing Missourians to continue to fly on airplanes and enter federal buildings after the May 11th deadline.
Jim Guest says that the Real IDs will just act as a way for the government to track every American.
For more information on the Real ID Act, follow the links at KSMU.org.
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