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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Ind. Gov't. - "Before this trigger is pulled," Daniels said, "I want to make sure it's truly necessary and truly required." [Updated]

Updating earlier ILB entries from July 14th and 17th headed "BMV headaches ahead", Eric Bradner of the Evansville Courier & Press has a report today headed "BMV change could cause more issues than it solves," that indicates the changes may not have Gov. Daniels' full support. Some quotes:

Beefed-up regulations for renewing driver's licenses and state-issued IDs are intended to address a problem Vanderburgh County officials say doesn't exist.

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles cast the changes, set to take effect next year, as necessary steps to crack down on identity theft and move toward the recommendations issued by the 9/11 Commission.

But Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Stan Levco said his office filed identity theft charges just three times last year, and none of those cases involved fraudulent driver's licenses.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams said most identity theft cases have nothing to do with driver's licenses.

"Truly, fraudulent driver's licenses obtained through the BMV really haven't been a problem for us," he said.

Critics say the BMV changes disproportionally will hurt the elderly and underprivileged, meanwhile complicating state law and shoving aside new legislation that would have allowed Hoosiers to renew licenses online.

Gov. Mitch Daniels also has balked, saying he is hesitant to pile cumbersome requirements on an agency that has worked in recent years toward quicker service and greater efficiency.

"Before this trigger is pulled," Daniels said, "I want to make sure it's truly necessary and truly required."

Using documents such as birth certificates, Social Security cards, passports and more, Hoosiers seeking a new driver's license or state ID card or to renew a current one will have to prove their eligibility in four categories: identity, Social Security number, lawful status and Indiana residency.

It's a one-time requirement starting Jan. 1, 2010. Since Indiana licenses must be renewed every six years, the program largely will phase out by 2016, although new applicants still must present documents to satisfy each of the four categories.

Rather than printing out the IDs on-site and handing them out immediately, the BMV will print and mail them up to two weeks later. That change, BMV Commissioner Andy Miller said, is permanent. * * *

The change throws a wrench into legislation state lawmakers passed this year to allow online registration renewals.

Miller said that law still will take effect. However, Hoosiers will have to renew at least once with the new requirements in place, something that must be done in person. That means online renewals are years away.

One initial concern over the new requirements was that in previous years, local BMV offices have been open on election days so that anyone who needed an ID could get one immediately. Now, those IDs will be mailed days later.

But officials said the interim printouts the BMV plans to hand out while Hoosiers wait for their licenses or state IDs to arrive in the mail will be enough to gain entrance to voting booths.

Opponents still fear new requirements could drive voters away from the polls.

Indiana voters have to show state- or federally issued photo IDs before they vote. For the elderly who no longer drive, and for out-of-state college students who rely on state IDs, needing to find documents such as birth certificates or pay for new ones might keep them away.

Though first-time license or ID seekers already had to meet the stringent requirements, the Indiana Democratic Party immediately signaled its opposition to including those who are renewing licenses. Advocacy groups such as the AARP and the Indiana League of Women Voters have signaled their opposition as well.

"We are generally concerned that the rules will have a disparate impact on older and lower-income Hoosiers," said AARP of Indiana spokesman Martin DeAgostino.

He said birth certificates and passports in particular are problematic requirements.

Daniels brushed the criticism aside, calling it "nonsense." Instead, he said he is worried about "the convenience of the public" and whether an agency that has taken steps to improve speed, reduce error rates and improve customer service is reversing course.

"We've worked so hard to improve it, and I want to protect that," Daniels said.

[Uppdated July 20, 2009] Eric Bradner has a supplemental report today, in the C&P "Legislative Notebook."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 19, 2009 09:59 AM
Posted to Indiana Government