REAL ID driver’s license bill sent to the governor’s desk

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Louisiana’s drivers should get to choose whether they want a driver’s license that complies with the federal REAL ID security law, state lawmakers have decided.

 

With a 28-9 vote Monday and little discussion, the Senate gave final legislative passage to a bill by Sen. Yvonne Dorsey Colomb, D-Baton Rouge, that lets a driver decide between a license that meets the federal act requirements or one that does not.

 

The measure goes to Gov. John Bel Edwards, who pushed the bill as part of his legislative package and intends to sign it into law. The same provisions will apply to state-issued identification cards, giving people a choice between the two varieties.

 

Propelling the debate was worry that Louisiana residents without a REAL ID-compliant license could need a passport or other federally approved identification to board domestic flights or enter federal buildings within a few years.

 

Privacy concerns have been repeatedly raised by conservative groups, however, about the data collection required to comply. In 2014, Edwards’ Republican predecessor, Bobby Jindal, vetoed a bill allowing for REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses because of data-sharing worries.

 

Congress passed the REAL ID Act to create national identification standards after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. More than 20 states meet the requirements, and most others like Louisiana have received temporary extensions, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

 

Read More: REAL ID driver’s license bill sent to the governor’s desk – Washington Times