Louisiana: Federal Enforcement of Real ID Law begins in January 2013. Better carry your passport

And the right to travel freely as an American ends

UPDATED: December 28 2012

WASHINGTON— On December 20, 2012, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determined that thirteen states have met the standards of the REAL ID Act of 2005 (“Act”) for driver’s licenses and identification cards and has granted a temporary deferment for all other states and territories.

…….Beginning January 15, 2013, those states not found to meet the standards will receive a temporary deferment that will allow Federal agencies to continue to accept their licenses and identification cards for boarding commercial aircraft and other official purposes.  Source: http://www.dhs.gov/news/2012/12/20/dhs-determines-13-states-meet-real-id-standards

CALCASIEU PARISH, LA (KPLC) -

Louisiana residents who never travel out of the country don’t have much use for a passport, but that will soon change early next year.

Beginning  January 15th, Louisiana will join 26 other states [update: 7 states as of Dec 7th 2012] that will require a passport for entry into federal buildings and all commercial flights, no matter their destination.  The change stems from the 2005 “Real ID” law, which went into effect in 2008.  The bill paved the way for a universal identification system across the country, but several states including Louisiana opted out of the program.

Louisiana State Representative Brett Geymann co-authored a state bill excluding Louisiana from the federal law.

By 2014, each state must issue driver’s licenses and ID cards that meet minimum federal requirements to be compliant with the law. The new cards will contain tamper-proof information and, eventually, biometric technology. Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/tony-norman/voter-id-real-id-might-clash-for-some-653783/#ixzz2EQYp5KOr

“Your driver’s license would essentially become an ID number that could be swiped and scanned on either a federal building, bank, getting on or boarding an airplane,” Geymann said. “We were very concerned about identity theft, the privacy, who was going to be capturing the data and who would have their hands on that information that would be very personal.”

Geymann’s concern was also felt by 26 other states. As of June, more than half of states have passed legislation opposing some portion of the “Real ID” law.  Read the rest here http://ow.ly/eB4PZ