Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Legislative News and Views - Rep. Tom Hackbarth (R)

Back to profile

Deer info, Thanksgiving note, REAL ID & more

Monday, November 23, 2015

Dear Neighbor,

 

The deer hunting gear is back in the closet, Thanksgiving is near and the weather is starting to feel more like winter.

 

Reports say the deer harvest is up this year, so I hope you got one if you made it out hunting. The firearm season has ended for much of the state and the DNR indicates almost 118,600 deer were taken through the second weekend. That is up by around 14,000 from last year, so you can decide whether that means our aim is improving or deer numbers are back on the rise.

On a somewhat related note, I enjoyed a recent visit to the Federal Premium Ammunition headquarters in Anoka with a group of House members and staff from the outdoors/mining committee. The plant is almost one million square feet and they are currently producing rounds and shells 24 days, seven days a week. It was an interesting tour and I thank Federal for hosting us.

REAL ID

A number of people have questions regarding what the U.S. government's new ID standards will mean to them. The biggest thing they are concerned about is whether their air travel plans will be impacted. Here is a quick summary:

The feds initiated their REAL ID program after the 9/11 terrorist attack. New ID regulations apply to accessing certain government facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and boarding commercial aircraft for domestic flights. The program has taken effect in stages and the last one – which applies to air travel – will launch sometime in 2016.

The standard Minnesota driver’s license or ID card we have today does not currently meet the federal REAL ID requirements. However, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security indicates the Minnesota Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) and Enhanced Identification Card (EIC) do meet the REAL ID requirements for boarding domestic flights. Those EDLs/EICs already are available and cost an additional $15.

Full compliance in Minnesota would require action by the Legislature, which is not scheduled to be back in session until March 8. That means more than two months after the feds could start up the new REAL ID standards, so the state has filed for an extension.

A number of questions and concerns remain regarding the best way to reach compliance while protecting citizen data. I will pass along more as things develop but, for now, information on obtaining enhanced IDs is at this link and you can click here to find more about REAL ID on a DHS site.

ECONOMIC FORECAST AHEAD

One of the next big announcements from the state will pertain to the state's economy, with an updated forecast scheduled to be released Dec. 3. Although 2016 is not an official budget year, the economic forecast will impact our business during the upcoming session. There also are rumblings the governor may call a special session and I will let you know what shakes out.

I will be back with more news soon. Until then, I wish you and your family a happy Thanksgiving. Please be safe on the roads!

Sincerely,

Tom

Recent News for Rep. Tom Hackbarth