Maine Wants to give up.

A story in Bangor Daily News quotes Secretary of State Matt Dunlap:

"I don't see how we could possibly meet all its requirements. I don't see how any state could meet all the requirements by the deadline." ... "It is a huge, unfunded federal mandate," he said, "and it is totally unrealistic in its timelines."

Maine recently spent $14 million to computerize and speed up the licensing process, and is now looking at a new law that will create long lines to renew, and make licenses cost over $100.

"It simply can't be done in a couple of years," he said. Dunlap is joined in his criticism of the law by the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures, which issued a report last month critical of the lack of funding and unrealistic implementation schedule.