State officials are still parsing the ramifications of refusing to comply with a national identification law that the federal government plans to start enforcing soon. Specifically, elected officials fear that residents trying to board commercial planes using Louisiana drivers' licenses will face problems -- such as tough questioning or being refused entrance to a plane altogether -- once states...
State officials are still parsing the ramifications of refusing to comply with a national identification law that the federal government plans to start enforcing soon.
Specifically, elected officials fear that residents trying to board commercial planes using Louisiana drivers' licenses will face problems -- such as tough questioning or being refused entrance to a plane altogether -- once states are expected to actively abide the federal REAL ID law.
"What will it take to board a plane if you are not REAL ID compliant?" asked state Rep. Brett Geymann R-Lake Charles, at a Thursday meeting of a state task force set up to deal with the federal identification law.
In 2008, Louisiana passed a state law blocking compliance with REAL ID over concerns that it was too intrusive, but since then the federal government has removed some of the more objectionable requirements, like a retina scan and computer chip that was embedded into the driver's license.
In fact, Louisiana has adopted most of the REAL ID criteria already, though the two remaining items -- the inclusion of a gold star on the license and the removal of the REAL ID ban at the state Legislature level -- would have to be implemented for the state to fully fall in line with the federal law.
State Police Col. Michael Edmonson said Louisiana -- one of about 30 states not in compliance -- is actually ahead of many others when it comes to enacting REAL ID measures. To go any further, he will need approval from the state Legislature.
"We don't put anything on the driver's license unless the Legislature allows us to," he said.
Some state legislators are still skeptical of taking the final two steps toward adopting the federal mandate fully. They wondered whether this was a slippery slope toward turning over more information about private citizens to government entities.
Non-legislators who attended the meeting chimed in as well, saying they were concerned with REAL ID requirement that would mandate the state scan citizens' birth certificates into database upon renewal of their driver's license.
"What if you can't find your birth certificate?" Geymann said, "What are we really trying to accomplish?"
It's not clear yet when the federal government will expect federal identification compliance, but state officials expect a timetable for enforcement to be released this fall. For the next few months, at the very least, they do not expect residents using Louisiana licenses to board planes should to encounter any issues.