Dear Neighbors,
As we move into the new session, important bills are being introduced and debated in our committees.
I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you about the REAL ID legislation that was passed out of the Transportation and Regional Governance Committee on which I sit. The bill was approved in an 8-6 vote and will now be heard in the Transportation Finance Committee.
We need to act quickly to become REAL ID compliant since residents without it could be turned away from domestic flights and some federal buildings starting next year. The bill offered by House Republicans attached unnecessary requirements, slowing down the entire process.
Minnesota is currently one of only eight states that has not met the requirements of the federal law.
We need to pass this bill and the best way to do it is by dealing solely with REAL ID. This was and continues to be controversial legislation on a number of different levels, including data privacy and concern about the federal government requesting information that could be used for other programs.
The two-tier system being proposed will give Minnesotans the choice between a REAL ID compliant license or a traditional non-compliant license.
Our committee heard testimony from immigration lawyers and the Chamber of Commerce expressing support for dealing swiftly with just REAL ID.
Our committee also received a letter from the Minnesota Business Immigration Coalition that was signed by business organizations across the state and letters from law enforcement officials expressing support for not barring Minnesotans aspiring to citizenship from getting a license.
REAL ID compliance needs to be passed quickly, but it should be passed with the fewest number of restrictions possible.
Sincerely,
Sandra Masin
State Representative