Whenever we like to harass our colleague Brianna, we tease her that she is going to have to work again on a campaign to repeal Maine's obligations to comply with the federal Real ID law. What is not so funny, however, are the true threats to privacy and security inherent in the Real ID.
The ACLU of MAINE has been been fighting since 2008 to repeal Maine's promise to comply with the Real ID law because it threatens our most basic liberties, infringes upon Maine residents’ right to privacy and undermines security of personal data.
In 2007, Mainers were the first in the nation to reject Real ID. That's because we recognized the unacceptable costs to privacy, security, and our budget. Those unacceptable costs haven’t changed. It's still an unfunded, unworkable, dangerous unfunded mandate.
This year, a strong tri-partisan coalition of Independants, Republicans and Democrats, plus the Governor and Secretary of State have joined privacy and civil rights advocates to call for an end to Real ID once and for all.
And this week, the Legislature's Transportation Committee once again heard testimony from those seeking to repeal portions of the law which promises Maine's compliance with some of the most concerning aspects of the federal program - including biometrics and fingerprinting. The hope is to send a strong message - once and for all - to Congress that states will never comply with invasive, costly and ineffectual requirements of the law.
Privacy advocate and long time anti-Real ID activist Kathleen McGee often relays this quote when speaking about Real ID and the insidious but sometimes dangerously gradual creep of increased government tracking and surveillance...and I think it truly reflects the dangers and the importance of resistance.
It goes..."Justice William O. Douglas once said that oppression doesn’t come suddenly, like turning off a light. It comes slowly, like nightfall, just getting darker and darker."
The work session for LD 1068, Act To Protect the Privacy of Maine Residents under the Driver's License Laws sponsored by Rep. Ben Chipman is scheduled for next week, Apr 15, 2011 at 9am in front of the Transportation Committee.
It feels like this is the year we're going to get it done!
Read here for the ACLU of MAINE's full testimony.
