California legislature removes REAL-ID compliance from Governor's budget
17 hours ago
- California Senate and Assembly removed funding and legislative changes for uploading driver's license data to the private SPEXS national ID database from Governor Newsom's proposed budget.
- The decision is not final; the legislature must pass a budget by June 15, but final enactment may not occur until August after negotiations.
- Some legislators seek guardrails for California license data, but studies show no state action can prevent federal or out-of-state law enforcement access once uploaded to AAMVA.
- The upload is not urgent; the DMV's target date was set by AAMVA for convenience, not by federal or state law.
- Critics urge the Governor to resist federal threats under the REAL-ID Act, call the bluff, and prepare to defend Californians' right to travel.