Real I.D. is a Real pain says Alabama

The fact that Alabama is complying with this is sad. Now 10 states have refused with LA being the latest to join the Real ID Rebellion.

Gov. Schweitzer of Montana brought Chertoff up short months ago by inviting him to go on 60 Minutes to discuss the issue further. Cherty is shy and took a pass on the invitation.

AxXiom

Real ID may cost Alabama $16.3 million

http://www.montgomeryadvertise...

Complying with a federal law that creates national security standards for state-issued identification might leave Alabama with a bad case of sticker shock.

It's estimated it will cost the state more than $16.3 million to reach full compliance with the federal Real ID Act and maintain it for five years, according to a special report from the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts.

Alabama, like every other state, has until Dec. 31, 2009, to meet 18 initial milestones, which include requiring people to prove where they live, and verifying their legal status and Social Security numbers. To be in full compliance by May 2011, they must meet 21 additional milestones.

About $10 million is needed to cover the cost of issuing IDs, creating a data management system and maintenance, according to the report. The Department of Public Safety would need another $6.6 million for more staff, additional facilities and security upgrades. But where that money would come from is a mystery.

State Sen. Wendell Mitchell, a member of the executive committee of the Southern Legislative Conference, said Real ID was a hot topic at a recent National Conference of State Legislatures summit he attended.

The more than $130 million that the federal government has appropriated since Real ID was passed "is only a drop in the bucket for what it will cost all 50 states to comply," said Mitchell, a Democrat from Luverne. "I think the figure to comply is so unrealistic for most states, particularly Alabama, with the crisis we're in."

Nine states have taken formal steps to reject Real ID. Alabama isn't one of them, and Gov. Bob Riley has made it clear that the state won't become one of them. To that end, the state has applied for more than $8 million in federal grant money. It has received less than $1 million.

Martha Earnhardt, a Department of Public Safety spokeswoman, said the lack of specific funding isn't going to stop the state from producing secure state-issued IDs. It might, however, make it difficult to comply with the law.

"We can't anticipate what might be available, so we will continue to pursue any and all sources of funding for implementing Real ID," she said. "Certainly there are some questions that the state is going to have to answer in terms of funding this program."

State Rep. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said if the answer includes making states scrape together money for an unfunded mandate, Alabama should say "no."

"This is a typical example of the federal government issuing an unfunded mandate with all these punishment provisions," said Ward, who sponsored a joint resolution opposing the federal act. "It's easy for them because the federal government can run a deficit. State governments have to have a balanced budget."