New Hampshire Says "Maybe" to REAL ID
Anne Saunders of Associated Press via the Portsmouth Herald - I reported nine days ago about the New Hampshire House's passage of HB1582, "prohibiting New Hampshire from participating in a national identification card system". Well, the Senate voted on Thursday, amending it to create a commission to study the issue. Hopefully, they'll still do it, but the commission's study won't be due until after the November elections (assuming the House and the governor approve the Senate's amendment). [google]
"If we get drawn into Real ID, tens of thousands of New Hampshire citizens are going to be denied their right to get licenses because of the bureaucratic nightmare that will descend," said Sen. Peter Burling, D-Cornish.
Exeter Sen. Maggie Wood Hassan, also a Democrat, said the federal law gives the secretary of homeland security too much control over the requirements for obtaining a driver's license.
"I don't believe that unfettered discretion is wise," she said.
Federal officials including U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg and 1st District Rep. Jeb Bradley, both R-N.H., have urged the state Senate to support Real ID. They say it's needed to keep terrorists and illegal immigrants from entering the country.<
New Hampshire is one of two states picked to pilot the program and is due to receive $3 million to implement the new requirements.
Gregg argues that New Hampshire residents will find it difficult to get on airplanes or enter federal buildings if New Hampshire doesn't embrace Real ID.
My take on that last paragraph, New Hampshire should kick the feds out of their airports, too.
Real-ID Resistance: Alive and Kicking in NH
The fight against real-ID is still very much alive and kicking here ni New Hampshire. Aside from a strong grassroots push to remove the "turncoat" Senator, Jack Barnes, from office come November (he's the one that introduced the amendment that gutted HB1582), it is also the case that the full, unadulterated anti-Real-ID language of 1582 is still before the legislature. Full details are on this post of FreeStateBlogs
New Hampshire House's passage of HB1582
So much for a Sovereign State's rights!
Live free or die! eh?
Sheesh. Everyone's "for liberty" up there, until Uncle Sam comes around with the old carrot & stick routine. :(
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