Free Republic

The REAL ID Act has many Americans, especially civil libertarians, up in arms. They are concerned that "Big Brother" has crossed the fine line between security and intrusion. While we are all well advised to guard against an ever-intrusive government, it serves no good purpose to denigrate a piece of legislation simply because special interest groups are attempting to persuade us into believing there is something sinister afoot. "We the People" have a responsibility to ascertain the facts about any given issue before we storm the village square, flaming torches in hand. This concept is called civic responsibility and our...

Duplicity is the name of the game for America’s liberals. It has been standard practice of the Democratic Party for decades to create a problem through poorly conceived and unrealistic legislation, decry and obstruct any attempts by Republicans to fix the problems the Democrats created as “racist,” sexist,” or any of the other myriad of “-ists” they concoct, and then when the problem is not solved, blame the Republicans for doing nothing about it. There is no “vast left wing conspiracy” orchestrating all of this deceit from behind the scenes. No secret bunker under Berkley’s city hall where Hillary Clinton,...

Salt Lake City -- The Utah Senate voted Friday to take driver's licenses away from people who cannot prove they are legal U.S. residents and issue them a driving "privilege" card instead. Lawmakers voted 18-8 to approve the measure, which goes next to the House. Gov. Jon Huntsman said Friday that he would support it. Senators said they were alarmed by an investigation that found 58,000 undocumented workers had Utah driver's licenses and that some non-citizens were able to use the licenses to register to vote and cast ballots at the polls. "It's scary, being taken advantage of," Republican state...

State lawmakers moved on two fronts Monday to require identification - and only certain kinds - for certain government services and privileges. On a 16-14 vote, the Senate approved SB 1232, which says Arizona cannot issue a driver's license to a new resident from another state unless that state demands proof of citizenship or legal residence. Arizona already requires such proof to get a first-time license here. Separately, the House of Representatives voted 33-25 for HB 2443, a more far-reaching measure that limits the kind of documents that can be accepted by state and local agencies to deliver services. That...

In some quarters of California, it can be harder to get a library book than vote for governor. Possibly less fraud-laden, too. For two days from now, I will arrive at the polls, cast a ballot and maybe check for hanging chads. If past performances run to form, kindly poll-watchers will never ask for a single piece of identification. They may smile and offer refreshments. They may wish me well. If there are few other voters, they may return to their knitting or novels. But that is not the worst of it. In a nation with a long and storied...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After weeks of accusations that he was ducking controversy, Arnold Schwarzenegger seized on one of the state's most bitterly debated issues on Thursday, vowing to fight a California law granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. The Democratic-controlled California Senate on Wednesday approved the legislation and sent it to Gov. Gray Davis, who has promised to sign it "in a heartbeat" while wooing Hispanic voters in an Oct. 7 recall election. The measure has infuriated conservatives across California and Schwarzenegger -- a Republican who has called for tighter controls on the U.S. border with Mexico as he...

SACRAMENTO — After striking a deal over contentious security safeguards, embattled Gov. Gray Davis has offered unqualified support for divisive legislation that would give illegal immigrants the right to drive. While the measure targets the state’s burgeoning immigrant population, many Californians — regardless of citizenship or immigration status — could be affected. The compromise would require every applicant for a driver’s license to submit to a technologically advanced identification system to ensure the name matches the fingerprint. License fees, now $12, could double to raise the approximately $70 million for the Department of Motor Vehicles to move toward biometric fingerprinting....