Biometrics in California Driver's Licenses?
Without legislative review or appropriate privacy protections?
EAGLE FORUM OF CALIFORNIA SAYS NO!

"Is this any way to run a government, without any input from the people or the legislators?What gives the Department of Motor Vehicles the idea that they can simply usurp such authority unto themselves?" asks Orlean Koehle, State President of Eagle Forum of California.

Eagle Forum is a national conservative organization that has always stood firm against any form of national ID card, or national ID data collection, which Koehle believes is what the uniform use of biometrics on state drivers' licenses will eventually lead to.

On January 14th the California DMV - without notifying the public and without any authorization from California legislators - sent a letter to the state Joint Legislative Budget Committee requesting that biometrics begin to be placed in every California Driver's License, ID card and salesperson card starting in June of 2009.

Unless the committee actively rejects the DMV's request within 30 days, the DMV will be free to begin implementing the biometric technology.  The 30-day time limit is up by February 12th!

This unauthorized request is accompanied by a very expensive bill - just a measly $63 million over five years - in the midst of an already severe state budget crisis?  Just think how far that money would go in stopping the layoffs of teachers and other state employees, and allow for real wages to be given out instead of IOUs!
 
There is also very little information about privacy protections that the biometrics would offer.  Biometric technology is the computerized matching of an individual's personal characteristics (like a thumbprint, iris scan, facial scan, or signature) against an image or database of images.  Many people are also concerned that this data and other private information could be put on an RFID (Radio Frequency ID) chip which will be added to the cards (as is already happening with US passports) and planned to be used for Enhanced Driver's Licenses for those crossing from the USA into Canada.  The RFID can collect an enormous amount of data on a person and can also allow for tracking of a person wherever he/she goes.

Creating a large government database of millions of facial scans and thumbprints raises surveillance, monitoring, tracking and security questions that deserve to be questioned.  This government database will be from virtually every Californian over the age of 16.  Already, law enforcement has access to DMV's database of more than 25 million people.  These concerns beg the question of how this technology will make us more secure.

The DMV's own letter states that this entire process is only likely to lower identity document fraud by 5-10%! Koehle believes there is great risk because of skilled computer hackers who have already hacked their way into bank customers records, students records at universities. What is to prevent them from hacking into government databases of biometric information and stealing people's identity?  

Koehle has done her own research on this issue, having written a 85-page booklet,  A Closer Look at the Real ID Act of 2005: Giving Up a Whole Lot of Liberty for a Little Bit of False Security.  The Real ID Act is the federal law that is calling for the use of biometrics in state drivers' licenses, to supposedly protect against terrorists and to identify those who come to our country illegally.

The states still have to pass their own laws regarding whether or not they are willing to be compliant with the Real ID.  So far eleven states have passed legislation against it, ten have passed resolutions saying no, and other states have legislation pending.  Most of the states object because of three reasons:  1) the high costs which could entail $11-14 billion for the entire nation, 2) the infringement on state sovereignty rights.  States have always had the right to decide concerning their own state driver's license.  They don't like being dictated to by the federal government. 3) the infringement on the rights of the people, the right of privacy, the 4th Amendment,  and the 1st Amendment, free exercise of religious beliefs.  Some religions do not believe in the use of any modern technology.  The use of biometrics on an ID card would be a violation of their religious beliefs.
 
Because the federal government is getting such flack from the states, there is talk that they may decide to rescind the Real ID Act.  If that is the case, there will be no federal incentive for the California DMV to go forward with their biometric plan for drivers' licenses - one more reason to tell the DMV NO!
 
Eagle Forum of California asks for all concerned citizens to please contact Senator Darrell Steinberg, leader of the State Senate, Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, and urge him to say NO to the DMV!  NO to $63 million of taxpayers money will be authorized; NO biometrics in our state ID cards and driver's licenses, and tell the DMV to stop trying to usurp the role of the legislators.

Senator Steinberg's phone number in the State Capitol is 916-651-1529, and his fax numbers are 916-327-8754 and 916-323-2263.