The Missouri House this week passed a resolution objecting to the Federal Real ID Act of 2005. The legislation (HCR 20), sponsored by Rep. Jim Guest, R-King City, was approved by a vote of 146-4.
The federal act was part of a homeland security bill signed by President Bush in 2005 and is scheduled to go into effect May 2008. If implemented as scheduled, it would require you to show a federally approved identification card when getting on board an airplane, opening a bank account, collecting Social Security checks and doing almost any kind of business with the federal government.
"The scary part of this is the states are required to keep a data base of all this information plus all the data it takes to get your driverÂ’s license," said Rep. Guest. "This data will be shared by all states and our federal government which means any employee in any department of motor vehicles can have access to your information. You talk about security risks and identity theft. This just heightens the possibility of it."
Because of his concerns about the act, Rep. Guest formed a coalition of lawmakers from 34 states to file bills that oppose or protest Real ID. Several states have passed legislation and many more have active bills against Real ID.
HCR 20 now moves to the Senate for consideration. |