Michigan may lead way with dual purpose license

Published 1:15 pm Friday, February 16, 2007

By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Michigan could be a pilot state for a program to implement dual-purpose drivers' licenses and state identification cards.
Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land proposed more than a year ago creating Michigan drivers' licenses that could also serve as passports. The change was offered in response to the federal REAL ID Act and the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), said Ken Silfven, a spokesperson for Secretary Land.
"You would only need one document," Silfven said.
The REAL ID Act, among other things, established national standards for state-issued drivers' licenses and identification cards, such as what data must appear on the cards, what documentation must be presented before a card is issued and how states must share databases. The measure has received criticism as a way to implement a national identification card.
WHTI is a two-part initiative: Starting Jan. 23, anyone crossing borders by air into or through the United States is required to present a valid passport, and between Jan. 1, 2008, and Jan. 1, 2009, anyone traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea – including ferries – might be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. Both initiatives apply to all travelers crossing U.S. borders, including U.S. citizens.
The second part in particular could cause economic concerns for Michigan, which conducts about $70 billion of trading with Canada each year, Silfven said. As an example, Silfven said the policy could make jobs difficult for truck drivers transporting products daily across U.S. and Canadian borders. The measure may also deter people wishing to vacation between the two countries, he added.
"We have a leg up on states in that we have been working with the legislators on upgrading our technology structure here in the state," Silfven said, adding lawmakers have committed $30 million to do upgrades on issuance of licenses.
Secretary Land's proposal has been met with "great reception at every turn," Silfven said, including visits with legislators in Washington. Michael Chertoff, U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary, through Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, recently committed to meeting with Secretary Land during his upcoming trip to Michigan to discuss her proposal.
Silfven said there are still a lot of unanswered questions about what specifically would be required at the federal level to create the dual-purpose cards, which also means there is no estimate at what it would cost to produce them or how much citizens would have to pay to obtain them.