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Civil rights group marks MLK Day with call for 'Trump card' national ID
A prominent civil rights group is marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day by pressing President Trump to honor his promise to create a national photo ID card for citizens.
Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of the iconic civil rights leader and a co-chairmen of the Drum Major Institute, met with Trump two years ago on MLK Day. During that meeting, the then president-elect endorsed the idea of a national photo ID. This year, the group is calling on Trump to follow through.
William Wachtel, co-founder of the Drum Major Institute, said the group sees the issue as critical to ensuring King's work to remove barriers to voting.
[...] The idea has invited controversy in the past, in particular over privacy concerns. In 2013, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced a measure, the Protect Our Privacy Act, attached to a Senate immigration bill. The Paul amendment sought to prevent the creation of a national ID card, citing worries that it would make it easier for the government to track people. Wachtel sought to ease concerns about such an ID, saying it would not be mandatory and would only be an option for those who sought it.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday January 21 2019, @09:38PM (2 children)
I've never had to show supporting documentation to renew my driver's license. I walk in, show my expired or expiring DL, slap some cash on the counter, wait a few minutes, step in front of the photo screen, and five minutes later, I'm out the door with a still warm laminated card in my wallet.
I also have one of those. I was ticketed for speeding, license was eventually suspended with the stipulation that they wouldn't be renewed until I attended classes. I laughed at them - I had important stuff to do, like a Med cruise. Years later, I learned that my "privileges" were STILL suspended in that state. Fek 'em. There is little to no chance that they'll ever catch up to me since my newest home state has severed the DL number/identity from your social security number. If I'm ever stopped in that state, and asked for SSN, I'll make one up on the spot.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 21 2019, @10:22PM
I'm sure your state still collects SSNs, even if they don't put them on their licenses. Plus, how did you get your current license without presenting your old one?
If you haven't gone through what GP went through yet, you're lucky your old state forgot - for now. There's no statute of limitations for government demands, and I doubt you'll find a lawyer that would help you even if the other state had errors in their records. May be hard getting to legal advice by bus also.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 22 2019, @12:42AM
Only requires a birth certificate for your initial id or license (id can gotten at 15 or 16 regardless of driver's permit status, although almost nobody does), and a thumbprint (pre-9/11 fraud prevention, also required at banks for more than a 100 or 1000 dollar deposit now.) Even my last passport 10 years ago only required a birth certificate plus state id photocopy for certification. Maybe this has changed in the years since, but if it has it is not because the need for more security has increased. As an alternative, go read Nevada's state id requirements. They have the same requirements as a federal employee or commercial transport worker id, which is full handprints and a bunch of background checking.