Tester investigates the cost of Real ID act

Tester investigates the cost of Real ID act
Category: News and Politics

This article found online at: http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=8245923&nav=menu227_7,

Posted: April 29, 2008 06:21 PM EDT

Updated: April 30, 2008 12:03 PM EDT

Montana Senator Jon Tester is questioning the real cost of the federal REAL ID program.

The program is currently expected to cost states $4 billion, mostly to pay for what Tester calls unnecessary changes to drivers licenses and computer databases.

During a Capitol Hill hearing, the Democrat warned that taxpayers will end up spending an additional $5.6 billion in secondary costs, including travel to DMV offices and time spent applying for new drivers licenses.

"This legal bobbing and weaving has done nothing to improve our homeland security, but the consequences for the states and for individuals are very meaningful. They have no idea whether to go forward with the database construction, to redesign the drivers' licenses and the training of new DMV workers that REAL ID requires."

Senator Tester also criticized the Department of Homeland Security's series of "meaningless" deadlines for states to declare whether they intend to comply with REAL ID.

The Montana Legislature unanimously rejected REAL ID last year and is one of four states that has refused to comply with the program.

-Jami Bond reporting from KTVQ in Billings