Papers Please – The Real ID Act: A national ID card in disguise? Or necessary 21st-century security?

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. — Revelation 13:16-18

Comparing the Real ID Act to the so-called mark of the beast clearly is an exaggeration, though hundreds of Web sites make that exact claim. Mark of the beast or not, considerable hysteria surrounds this piece of federal legislation, signed into law May 11, 2005.

According to the 2004 Digital States Survey conducted by the Center for Digital Government, 43 percent of states offer fully implemented driver’s license renewal services directly linked to their Web portals, and 11 percent have a partial implementation available. Meanwhile, 41 percent of states are planning or piloting an online driver’s license renewal service.

And citizens are starting to take advantage of this service — of the states that are fully implemented, Louisiana leads the nation with 75 percent of drivers renewing their licenses online. Virginia comes in second with 29 percent, and Massachusetts comes in third at 20 percent.

Despite these numbers, it appears the days of online driver’s license renewal are numbered — unless the Department of Homeland Security says otherwise, the Real ID Act eliminates the option.

Just what is it about this law that has people up in arms, claiming everything from police state to fascism to a sign of the apocalypse? What good, if any, will the Real ID Act accomplish?

Concern about the Real ID Act stems from two primary sources: First, the method by which the legislation passed Congress generated significant controversy. Second, the legislation’s cryptic content is an open invitation to speculation.

Proponents of the Real ID Act say the legislation is simply a response to the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations. House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., introduced H.R. 418 on Jan. 26, 2005.

By Chad Vander Veen

Full Story: http://www.govtech.net/magazine/story.php?id=97147