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WASHINGTON - A "scorecard" for evaluating Real ID Act regulations that are expected to be released soon by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been released by the American Civil Liberties Union. The rules will provide the states with precise instructions on how to implement the act, which seeks to create a backdoor national identity card system by federalizing state driver's licenses.
"Real ID has given DHS the daunting task of creating a uniform national driver's license with a set of instructions that are riddled with problems," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Project. "The scorecard allows users to systematically measure whether they have been successfully addressed."
Steinhardt said that when the regulations are released, the ACLU will fill in the scorecard and rate the degree to which the regulations succeed. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff has indicated that the regulations would be released before the end of February. They will then be subject to a public comment period.
"The regulations will force DHS to get specific about what states have to do to comply with Real ID, and once that happens we believe even more states will make it clear to Congress that the Real ID Act is a failure," said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "DHS gets a failing grade on civil liberties and privacy and Congress needs to act now."
Nationwide, there is a growing rebellion against Real ID within the states. In January, the Maine legislature passed a resolution rejecting participation in the ID scheme, and similar legislation has been passed by one chamber in the legislatures of Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming. Bills rejecting Real ID have also been introduced in Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Oklahoma, Washington and West Virginia, with more expected in the coming weeks.
The ACLU's Real ID scorecard is available at www.realnightmare.org/resources/106. Comprehensive and up-to-the-minute information on Real ID Act can be found at www.realnightmare.org. 2-21-07
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