2008-05-30                     Senate Journal                      Page 2992
SB 202                                                                                                                        
Message dated May 28 was received, stating:                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Green:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of art. II, sec. 17, of the Alaska Constitution, I                                                          
have allowed the following bill to become law without signature:                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                   HOUSE CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 202(STA)                                                                       
             "An Act relating to expenditures in aid of or to                                                                  
           implement the provisions of the federal Real ID Act."                                                               
                                                                                                                                
                           [Chapter 44, SLA 2008                                                                               
                         Effective Date: 8/26/08]                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SB 202 addresses a very serious concern of many Alaskans: that the                                                              
federal government is forcing Alaska and other states to implement                                                              
certain provisions of the REAL ID Act of 2005, and is not picking up                                                            
the high price tag of the implementation. In the near future, Alaska and                                                        
other states must upgrade their driver's license and state identification                                                       
card systems to meet the standards of the REAL ID Act. If we do not,                                                            
we risk that our citizens may not have the identification needed to                                                             
board airplanes, enter federal offices, or visit federal hospitals.                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Most Alaskans have serious privacy concerns about the development                                                               
of a national database and about the ready access to personal                                                                   
information that this database would give the federal government and                                                            
others through the technology envisioned by the REAL ID Act. I agree                                                            
with those concerns. It especially troubles me that the state of Alaska                                                         
is forced to use its money to implement this ill-considered policy.                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Nonetheless, I want to be sure that the state of Alaska can continue to                                                         
improve its driver's license and identification card system to further                                                          
secure its licenses and cards against fraud. Because some of these                                                              
improvements may coincidentally match or advance changes required                                                               
by the REAL ID Act, SB 202 could be viewed as restricting these                                                                 
improvements. SB 202 does not resolve the dilemma that Alaskans                                                                 
will face if their driver's licenses and state identification cards are not                                                     
accepted for federal purposes and they do not possess a passport or                                                             
other federally-accepted identification. Failure to comply with these                                                           

2008-05-30                     Senate Journal                      Page 2993
federal requirements may restrict Alaskans' freedom of travel and                                                               
prevent their access to federal facilities. This presents a quandary for                                                        
Alaskans who are so protective of state rights and liberties and yet, by                                                        
necessity, must have federally-accepted identification in order to travel                                                       
by airplane.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
For these reasons and to support the many Alaskans' concerns about                                                              
the REAL ID Act, I have not signed this bill and have it allowed to                                                             
become law without my signature.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Sarah Palin                                                                                                                     
Governor