Natalia, thanks for sharing this. Ironically, the Bush-Cheney administration have been good at making states more pro-active, challenging unfunded mandates and leading the way on environmental/sustainable business issues, as well as health care programs for the uninsured.
They have disappointed many conservatives, as well as libertarians, who abhor government intrusion and runaway federal deficits. They have even managed to generate a turnaround in the hunting and gun ownership associations, some of whom are now aligning themselves with environmental groups to protect wetlands and public forest land from oil drilling and timber excavations. And with the latest Im the Decider and Thats Hogwash - You cant stop us communiques from Bush and Cheney, they are likely to tear apart the GOP and undermine the last remaining firewalls they have to impeachment. - kwc Maine rejects REAL ID Act: Both chambers of the Maine legislature approved a resolution saying the state flatly "refuses" to force its citizens to use driver's licenses that comply with digital ID standards, which were established under the 2005 Real ID Act <http://news.com.com/FAQ+How+Real+ID+will+affect+you/2100-1028_3-5697111.htm l> . It asks the U.S. Congress to repeal the law. The vote represents a political setback for the US Dept of Homeland Security and Republicans in Washington, D.C., which have argued that nationalized ID cards for all Americans would help in the fight against terrorists . "I have faith that the Democrats in Congress will hear this from many states and will find a way to repeal or amend this in the coming months," House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree <http://pingree.com> , a Democrat, said in a telephone interview after the vote. "It's not only a huge federal mandate, but it's a huge mandate from the federal government asking us to do something we don't have any interest in doing." The votes in Maine on the resolution <http://www.mainesenate.org/mitchell/realid.htm> were nonpartisan. It was approved by a 34-to-0 vote in the state Senate and by a 137-to-4 vote in the House of Representatives. Other states are debating similar measures. Bills pending in Georgia, Massachusetts, Montana and Washington state express varying degrees of opposition to the Real ID Act. Montana's is one of the strongest. The legislature held a hearing on Wednesday on a bill that says "The state of Montana will not participate in the implementation of the Real ID Act <http://laws.leg.mt.gov/pls/laws07/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=287&; P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&Z_ACTION=Find> of 2005" and directs the state motor vehicle department "not to implement the provisions." http://news.com.com/Maine+rejects+Real+ID+Act/2100-7348_3-6153532.html <http://news.com.com/Maine+rejects+Real+ID+Act/2100-7348_3-6153532.html>
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