Mar 31 2008
Sanford Rejects Real ID Deadline
COLUMBIA — South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford said in a letter today that he was not asking the federal government for more time to comply with new driver license standards, but rather explaining why South Carolina was already in compliance because of increased security measures. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff responded late this afternoon that he was considering the governor’s letter as a request for an extension.The response from Chertoff means South Carolinians will be allowed to use their current driver’s licenses until Dec. 31, 2009 as identification, and will not be forced to use passports or undergo additional screenings to board airplanes or enter some federal facilities.Sanford’s decision came on the deadline to ask for more time to comply with the law. The state Legislature last year passed a measure that bars South Carolina from complying. Sanford and other governors have complained the Real ID measure costs too much.
See? I said before that Homeland Security was full of shit. All this crap about people in South Carolina needing a passport to fly or go through extra security checks was nothing but scare tactics. Sanford did the right thing by standing up to them. It’s too bad more governors around the country didn’t have the stones to do the same.
Bush can take his Real ID and wipe his behind with it.
