“Instead
of being ahead of the curve, Governor Patrick and the Massachusetts Department
of Transportation has made little progress thus far in the federally mandated
REAL ID Act. With little movement, the Senate Republican Caucus has
exceedingly high concerns as to the adverse effects of having an outdated,
unrecognized state ID in the eyes of the Federal Government. The Real ID
Act is extremely clear that federal agencies cannot accept state IDs that don’t
meet a certain minimum of standards, and if Massachusetts does not move
expeditiously to be compliant with federal law, we fear that there will be
major implications, such as citizens not being able to board commercial
airplanes, until the Governor and his administration rectifies the situation.
We
are now calling on the Governor to make clear the progress, if any, that has
been made in achieving federal compliance while there is still time to avoid
what could be a disastrous scenario for the citizens of the Commonwealth.
If the state is failing to stride towards compliance, we ask Governor Patrick
to provide the reasons for that failure. A state issued license is among
the most utilized forms of identification, and the value of the Massachusetts
license would be diminished greatly if this administration does not act
accordingly.”
Posted
below is the letter sent to Governor Patrick from the Senate Republican Caucus
and a fact sheet regarding REAL ID.
REAL ID Letter From Senate Republican Caucus to Governor by Troy Wall
