It was with great
sadness that I saw a story on Channel 13 about the way Maine veterans are being
hurt by our state’s failure to comply with federal law regarding our state
driver’s licenses.
The story was about
Daniel Patstone, a veteran living in Maine who receives health care at the
Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire. It’s the closest VA clinic to his home,
but he received a letter in the mail from the VA saying his Maine ID would no
longer let him receive care there.
Patstone could get a
passport. But he’s retired, and on a fixed income. He can’t afford the expense
of the passport, or the weekslong wait to obtain one.
A Maine driver’s
license will no longer be accepted as legitimate identification at federal
facilities, such as the VA, starting in less than a month, on January 30, 2017.
Unless the legislature acts, a year later, Maine IDs will no longer be accepted
by the TSA for boarding airplanes.
These repercussions
are a result of Maine’s failure to adopt the stricter federal regulations for
driver’s licenses created in 2005, in response to the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
These changes, part of the “Real ID” program and the recommendations of the
9/11 Commission, were designed to make state identification cards more uniform
and secure.
In 2007, the
legislature passed a law prohibiting the Secretary of State from complying with
Real ID. Opponents of the new regulation had philosophical objections to the
new safeguards. For several years, the situation was okay, if not perfect.
Maine received waivers from the federal government, essentially protecting
Mainers from the repercussions of noncompliance with federal law.
Now, though, those
waivers are being denied. The federal government is making itself very clear:
If Maine doesn’t come into compliance, Mainers will pay the price.
It’s not just
veterans who will be affected. Mainers will be barred from all sorts of federal
facilities. I’ve already received phone calls from transportation
companies in Maine, who say their delivery drivers with Maine driver’s licenses
will be barred from making deliveries at federal properties, such as office
buildings, courthouses and military bases. And of course, any Mainer who wants
to take a flight to visit family, conduct business or simply go on a vacation
will be barred from using their Maine IDs to board planes in just a year.
The status quo is
untenable. We should not allow Mainers to be treated differently by the federal
government than residents of other states.
The time has come for
lawmakers to lift the prohibition on compliance with Real ID, allowing
Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap to make the necessary changes to our driver’s
licensing process that will give Mainers the same benefits enjoyed by residents
of other states.
I’m aware that some
in Augusta may still have reservations about the stricter standards required by
Real ID and the privacy concerns they raise. Their concerns deserve to be
aired. But 26 states have already complied with the law, and we have not seen
any issues related to violation of privacy rights in those states.
An additional 21
states and territories are in the process of becoming compliant. Soon, Maine
will be one of just eight states in noncompliance.
I’ve submitted a law
to lift the prohibition on the Secretary of State and bring Maine in compliance
with Real ID. We need to protect our residents’ rights to go about their
business without being burdened by the repercussions of noncompliance with
federal law.
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