Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 12.7.16

NEWS
Denied Real ID Extension Could Mean Long Airport Lines State o cials hope Congress will repeal 2005 law, but security advocate says that’s unlikely
BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
Montanans could face long airport security lines starting in 2018 if the state does not comply with fed- eral driver’s license standards.
In November, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security informed Montana o cials the state would not get an extension to comply with the Real ID Act of 2005, which requires state identi cation cards to meet certain security standards. Montana had received two one-year extensions before, but federal o cials told Gov. Steve Bullock it would not receive a third because the state had not made progress toward complying with the standards.
Beginning next month, people using Montana driv- er’s licenses will not be able to access military bases, nuclear power plants and federal facilities. A year after that, in January 2018, Montanans will be unable to board an airplane using a state-issued driver’s licenses.
If a resident does not have a passport or other acceptable identi cation, they would have to ll out a Certi cation of Identity Form at the airport. The form would ask for the traveler’s name and address and then a Transportation Security Administration agent would call the TSA’s Identity Veri cation Call Center to gather information about the traveler from various commer- cial and government databases. The TSA agent would then ask the traveler a series of questions in an e ort to independently con rm the person’s identity. If the TSA agent could not con rm the person’s identity, the traveler would not be able to board the plane. Real ID
Security at Glacier Park International Airport. BEACON FILE PHOTO
proponents believe the independent veri cation process will lead to longer lines at airport security.
Montana o cials on both sides of the aisle have long railed against the Real ID, saying it was an intrusion of people’s privacy and an overreach by the federal govern- ment. In 2007, the state Legislature unanimously voted against complying with the federal law. The American Civil Liberties Union has also come out against the law and previously stated it has a “tremendously destructive impact on privacy.”
Critics speci cally worry that the Real ID Act opens the door for the federal government to retain informa- tion about private citizens in databases.
“I stand by Montanans and their elected leaders in
opposition to the implementation of the Real ID Act, which violates states’ rights and jeopardizes the privacy rights of law-abiding citizens in Montana,” Gov. Steve Bullock said after the feds turned down his request for an extension.
But Andrew Meehan, policy director of Keeping IDentities Safe, said Montana politicians are pushing “myths” about the driver’s license standards that are only going to hurt the state in the long run. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Montana is one of only six states that are not complying with the Real ID laws.
“A shrinking number of states are nding fewer and fewer reasons to hold out on complying with Real ID,” Meehan said. “At some point Montana will be caught between a rock and a hard place.”
Meehan believes many of the criticisms about the Real IDs are unfounded and standardized identi cation cards o er more security and can prevent people from making fake IDs.
“Ten years after this law came to pass none of these myths have come to fruition, there are not black heli- copter hovering above,” he said.
Eric Sell, director of communications for the Mon- tana Department of Justice, said the state hopes Con- gress would repeal the Real ID Act or change the law so that Montana complies with it. Montana Sen. Steve Daines has said he would introduce legislation to repeal the law in the future.
“We feel that our licenses are secure,” Sell said.
jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com
Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment Deadline Approaches Enrollment is outpacing last year’s gures with only two weeks remaining before the Dec. 15 deadline
BY BEACON STAFF
More than 2.1 million people have selected plans using the HealthCare.gov platform since open enrollment began Nov. 1, including 12,395 in Montana, according to the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services.
Enrollment is outpacing last year’s g-
ures with only two weeks remaining before the Dec. 15 deadline. The gures include both new consumers and consumers renewing their coverage on Healthcare.gov.
“I hear from people across the country
just how much coverage matters to them, so I continue to encourage all Montanans who need health insurance for 2017 to visit HealthCare.gov and check out their options,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Bur- well. “Consumers should be sure to enroll
by Dec. 15 for coverage that starts Jan. 1.” Consumers should visit HealthCare. gov to review coverage options, learn about what nancial assistance is avail- able, or to sign up or re-enroll in a plan
that best meets their needs.
news@ atheadbeacon.com
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DECEMBER 7, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM