Oregon joins list of states saying no to Real ID

02.06.2009
Oregon is one step closer to becoming the latest in a growing number of , which sets a national standard for driver's licenses.

Lawmakers in Oregon's House of Representatives that would prohibit agencies from spending state money to implement the requirements of the Real ID Act unless the federal government reimburses them the money.

The bill, which now heads to the governor for his signature, would also prevent the state Department of Transportation from implementing requirements of the Real ID Act unless it can demonstrate specific security controls for protecting driver's license data. The bill passed the Senate in April.

If signed into law, the bill would make Oregon one of more than two dozen states with measures either rejecting or opposing the Real ID mandate, put in motion by former President George W. Bush.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has been , currently lists more than a dozen states that have passed statutes prohibiting the implementation of Real ID.

The most recent of those rejections was by Minnesota which in May signed into law a statute that prohibits Real ID implementation. Others include Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Washington.