Dayton, Legislature let politics get in the way of Real ID

This is becoming a frustratingly familiar story line: An urgent matter confronts the Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton; Minnesotans need their help. But instead of stepping up and working for constituents — all constituents, no matter what their political leanings — lawmakers and Dayton opt to play politics instead.

As just one example, it happened in the winter of 2015-16 when laid-off Iron Rangers and their families faced financial ruin and needed their elected leaders in St. Paul to extend unemployment benefits — just to help keep them afloat until they were called back to work. Thousands of Iron Rangers were left hanging instead by lawmakers who tried to leverage the emergency to score on other political priorities.

It's happening again now with the state's need to comply with federal Real ID driver's license standards. With the clock ticking before Minnesotans won't be able to board flights or enter military or other government facilities, it's another emergency.

And, once again, rather than stepping up and getting the job done — as 45 other states already have done — Dayton pushed a separate priority onto a Real ID bill in the Senate. His provision would allow immigrants to obtain state-issued driver's licenses even when they're in Minnesota illegally.

Every Senate DFLer voted against a Real ID bill that finally would have brought Minnesota into federal compliance, saving Minnesotans untold travel hassles. And they did so over a provision that seems to fly in the face of the federal government's enhanced-identification requirements, part of stepped-up protections in the wake of 9 /11.

The whole idea is discouraging those determined to do harm to our nation. While that's a minuscule percentage of all immigrants, those who choose to be here illegally ought to be encouraged to follow proper channels and obtain citizenship. Their place outside the law shouldn't be accommodated with things like state-issued driver's licenses.

A handful of the Senate's Republican majority also voted against the Real ID bill this week, their opposition stemming from paranoia and arguments about Big Brother overreach. Their concerns about providing personal information on Real ID applications long ago were hashed through and settled.

FROM AN EDITORIAL IN THE DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE