Rep. Davis: Real ID ‘not an unfunded mandate’

House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) insisted today that the Real ID Act, which outlines standards for issuing new driver’s licenses, does not amount to an unfunded mandate, despite what state governments may say. (This story, by Brad Grimes, is from Government Computer News).

“States can do whatever they want,” Rep. Davis said. “It’s not an unfunded manadate in that sense. But if they want to use them as federal IDs, they must meet our standards.”

Perhaps Rep. Davis forgot that in order to fly in a commercial plane, we have to meet his standards. How many states cam ignore this mandate?