Louisiana air travelers could be grounded in 2016 if they don’t have a U.S. passport unless the state receives another extension allowing passengers to use Louisiana driver’s licenses as valid identification even though they aren’t compliant with federal regulations, The News-Star reports.
The deadline to have proper identification to be able to enter federal courthouses, military bases and other federal offices is even sooner, Oct. 10.
Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 as a preventive measure against terrorist attacks like 9/11 with specific requirements for state-issued driver’s licenses. Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and New York, as well as American Samoa, are the only states and territory that have failed to comply.
Last year, Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed a bill that would have allowed Louisiana residents who wanted a REAL ID-compliant license to secure one. Jindal stood with the Tea Party and other conservative groups who are concerned REAL ID is a mask for a national identification system and compromises states’ sovereignty.
“The Office of Motor Vehicles continues to address our concerns regarding REAL ID with the (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security,” Doug Cain, a spokesman for Jindal, says in a statement. “Those concerns include the unnecessary federal oversight of our driver’s licenses. Â We must ensure that there are no unintended and potentially far reaching consequences of compliance for Louisiana’s citizens. Previously, we have asked for and have been granted a waiver and will once again submit a waiver request.”
State Police Col. Mike Edmonson says his office is drafting a request for another extension that will be filed within a week. State lawmakers enacted a prohibition against the federal REAL ID law in 2008, rejecting the added security requirements for a driver’s license as too intrusive.
