NH Signs Bill That Rejects Federal Real ID

jcatcw writes "New Hampshire is part of a trend to oppose the federal Real ID act. The governor this week signed a bill that forbids state agencies from complying with the controversial federal regulation. The Real ID law, first passed by Congress in 2005, currently requires that all state driver's licenses and other identification cards include a digital photograph and a bar code that can be scanned by electronic readers. Such a federally approved ID card or document would be required for people entering a federal building, nuclear power plant and commercial airplane. The New Hampshire bill, which labeled the Real ID Act as "contrary and repugnant" to the New Hampshire and U.S. Constitutions, was passed in the state Senate by a 24-0 vote in late May."

Re:Frist Post...

[Original Replica]

what power does a state legislation have against a federal one?

In theory the State power should be at least equal within the State, we have a Federal system.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism [wikipedia.org] In reality our States have lost alot of autonomy to the Federal Government because of abuses of the Interstate commerce clause.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_com merce_clause [wikipedia.org] I hope that New Hampshire sticks it out, other States follow, and States Rights gains back some ground. But it didn't work when the Fed wanted a drinking age of 21, and forced States to adopt it, even though it is supposed to be outside the realm of the Federal government. Withholding funding for highways and such is an all too powerful lever the Feds have over the States. New Hampshire might hold out because they are small enough to get away with no Fed support of their highways and they have alot of "Free Staters" who want to secede from the US completely over things like shrinking liberties, and global policing. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1 555119,00.html [time.com]

Re:Frist Post...

[MightyMartian]

Of course, there was considerable abuse of state power that had to be stopped--the Southern states enslaved blacks, denied them civil rights, refused to prosecute as murderers those who lynched them, and every single time the federal government tried to intervene, Southern whites complained about "states rights".

I'm not defending slavery here, but let me just say that technically speaking, prior to the Thirteenth Amendment, the slave states were not technically abusing their powers at all, but were, in fact, exercising those powers as had been granted them when they had agreed to be bound by the Constitution. In fact, I think most constitutional experts will agree that just about everything Lincoln did once the Civil War started, including the Emancipation Proclamation, was in fact in technical violation of both word and spirit of the Constitution. The fact that Lincoln was right and moral to do so, and even more importantly that the Union won the war, has made us forget that the Constitution was pretty bent up in the act of ending slavery.

Re:What's up with bill attachment anyway?

[Kandenshi]

You can read about rider bills [wikipedia.org] on wikipedia if you want.

Interestingly enough, the Real ID act is given as an example of a rider =P

Re:Frist Post...

[Fulcrum of Evil]

If the constitution is silent on the matter, it's safe to assume that the feds lack that power - all the constitution does is assert what powers the feds have. It's unfortunate that it's been turned on its head to imply that the feds can do anything not explicitly denied - that's our role.

Re:Live Free or Die.

[almeida]

Well, you could say the full quote. Personally, I think the second half is more powerful, but that might just be because I'm so used to seeing the first half.

"Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils."
- General John Stark

Re:Frist Post...

[The One and Only]

The war was largely justified by economic means, because even in the North no one was particularly fond of blacks. The motive, even for ending slavery, wasn't moral in nature. Abolitionism existed, but it wasn't the driving force.

Re:Frist Post...

[NickCatal]

Please show me the part of the constitution which authorizes the collection of income taxes.

16th Amendment?