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BY BETTY ADAMS
Staff Writer 03/22/2008

Staff Writer

Ask Secretary of State Matt Dunlap whether Maine will apply for a waiver to extend the time to comply with the REAL ID Act of 2005.

He answers, "Not today."

That was his answer Friday after learning that an appeal by seven U.S. senators, including the two from Maine, failed to convince Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to extend the May 11 deadline for states to comply with the REAL ID.

"We're watching it day by day," Dunlap said. "We don't want to throw people into a vortex of absolute travel chaos." He also said no state will be in compliance by the May 11 deadline.

The federal law requires airline travelers to use a driver's license or identification card that meets minimum requirements if they wish to travel after that deadline.

Dunlap said he was told travelers can use passports or the new, small U.S. Passport cards.

In 2007, Maine legislators adopted a law prohibiting the state from participating in the federal REAL ID Act.

It also says, "The Secretary of State may not amend the procedures for applying for a driver's license or nondriver identification card under this chapter in a manner designed to conform to the federal REAL ID Act of 2005."

Dunlap said the intent was to protect people's privacy, and that it would cost an estimated $200 million to implement REAL ID in Maine.

Chertoff's response to the senators indicated that 46 states have been granted extensions of the compliance deadline. Maine, South Carolina, and Montana have not applied. New Hampshire's letter was rejected, Dunlap said.

Chertoff's letter says the REAL ID program will increase security at airports and federal facilities. Chertoff has said that extensions must be requested by the end of March.

Maine Gov. John Baldacci has said he intends to respond by the March 31 deadline, but that does not mean he would be requesting an extension.

Chertoff says that failure to comply will have "very real implications after May 11 for residents of states whose leadership chooses to reject REAL ID compliance.

"At a minimum, individuals from non-waiver states will need more than a state driver's license to avoid additional scrutiny and screening. No doubt this will impel many to choose the inconvenience of traveling with a passport."Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, on Friday urged the state to seek an extension.

"I am disappointed that (the Department of Homeland Security) is unable to grant a blanket extension as several of us requested," Collins said in a press release.

"This inability underscores the importance of the extension that I negotiated with the department in the final regulations. With a single, one-sentence letter, the State of Maine can request an extension, thus ensuring that Mainers will still be able to use their drivers' licenses to board planes and access federal buildings when the regulations go into effect on May 11, 2008. "While I remain concerned about the cost and privacy issues associated with REAL ID, I continue to urge the State to request this extension, which in no way commits it to future compliance with REAL ID but rather would avoid tremendous inconvenience for Maine citizens."

Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine, said she planned to ask again for an implementation waiver.

"At a time when the state of Maine is addressing a significant budget shortfall, this is the wrong time to impose a federal mandate that will adversely impact Maine's ability to achieve financial solvency," Snowe said in a prepared release. "At a time when the economy is slowing, job growth is declining, and unemployment is rising, it is irresponsible to impose additional financial burdens on our state."

Betty Adams -- 621- 5631

badams@centralmaine.com

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