“Deep Trouble” for Real ID

“Trouble” – that’s what advocates of centralized government say about a national ID card law that has been effectively nullified by massive State-level resistance.

When two dozen states refuse to comply with yet another unfunded mandate from D.C. – that mandate may sit on the books, but it’s as good as repealed.

That’s just what appears to be happening to the Bush-era Real ID Law. From a recent report at Computerworld:

The U.S. Senate recently approved a $43 billion budget for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the federal government’s 2010 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. The appropriation called for substantial increases in DHS spending in several key technology areas but slashed Real ID funding by 40%, from $100 million to $60 million.

The budget cut suggests that Real ID is going nowhere, said Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute. But Congress’ hesitation to kill Real ID entirely highlights the touchy political nature of the program, he said.

While the centralizers would certainly like to see their plans revived – either in Real ID itself, or in its latest incarnation, TWIC – the bottom line remains the same…nullification works.

Michael Boldin is the founder of the Tenth Amendment Center. He was raised in Milwaukee, WI, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.