This week, Homeland Security announced in a letter to Montana Governor Steve Bullock rejecting his request to continue delaying the implementation of the Real ID act, passed in 2005.

The letter stated that starting January 30, Montana residents would no longer be allowed to use their drivers licenses to access military bases, power plants and all federal facilities. In addition, beginning in 2018, a Montana drivers license would no longer be acceptable identification for boarding a commercial aircraft.

Montana Senator Steve Daines and Attorney General Tim Fox both responded to the announcement by the department of Homeland Security.

"Montanans have spoken loud and clear: we don’t want REAL ID and we don’t want the federal government infringing on our personal privacy,” Daines stated. “I’m going to work to pursue every legislative fix I can to safeguard Montanans’ civil liberties and personal privacy.”

“Montana has emphatically rejected the invasion of personal privacy by requiring sharing of private information with the federal government, and other states, through the REAL ID Act, and I fully support that decision,” Fox stated. “I ask Congress to respect the basic rights of all Americans and support Senator Daines’ efforts to repeal this law.”

Both Bullock and Fox say Montanans' drivers licenses are secure forms of identification.

 

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