Secretary Dunlap Accepts MCLU Award

for Tireless Opposition to REAL ID

Fort Fairfield Journal, January 16, 2008, p. 1

BANGOR, MAINE - Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap received the Maine Civil Liberties Union’s (MCLU) Roger Baldwin Award in a ceremony at the MCLU Annual Meeting at the Bangor Public Library Thursday night. Dunlap was recognized along with Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Mitchell and State Representative Scott Lansley for tireless efforts to bring an end to the failed policy that is the Federal REAL ID Act. “I am truly honored to receive this award,” Dunlap remarked, noting “Maine’s political and community leaders have recognized REAL ID for what it truly is - a poorly thought out policy that fails to achieve its supposed primary goal of improving national security, while at the same time creating enormous concerns about the privacy of all Americans.”

Dunlap has been a staunch advocate for strengthening the veracity of all identity documents and government issued credentials, but opposes what he sees as broad privacy concerns and enormous financial burdens created by the passage of the REAL ID Act in May of 2005. Dunlap has been at the forefront of Maine’s efforts to express opposition to the REAL ID Act, first with a near-unanimous Joint Resolution from the Legislature calling for the repeal of REAL ID, followed by passage of a law barring Dunlap from spending any state money in efforts to comply with REAL ID (Title 29-A, Section 1411). Dunlap says “The state's opposition to the Real ID Act is not an expression of disinterest in national security, and my own efforts are not expressions of bureaucratic narrow-mindedness and a desire to say no.

“All of us have been concerned about the cornerstones of our liberty--our ability to live freely--as being seriously compromised by the mechanics of this legislation. This is what has driven opposition to the Real ID Act. Even if the Legislature and I were wrong--even if personal privacy was not permanently thrown off, subject to the random scrutiny of unknown officials for unknown purposes--Real ID would not take a single step forward in the defense of any American against a determined act of terror.”

“At first, I was concerned that Maine's opposition to REAL ID was purely fiscal. I figured that if money was the only problem the Maine Legislature had, then the Feds would just print a bunch more of it and pass it out by the wheelbarrow-load,” said Fort Fairfield Journal editor/publisher, David Deschesne. “This new level of opposition will not be quelled by merely printing more money and issuing it in ‘Homeland Security Grants.’ This is real opposition to the essence of the problem that is REAL ID.”

Dunlap’s prominence in the national debate over REAL ID has led ABC News to seek him out for remarks in response to the announcement of the Department of Homeland Security’s finalized rules for REAL ID, which were announced in a press conference at 12 noon on Friday. The Secretary's comments were aired during ABC’s nationally televised World News Tonight Friday evening.

“While I never watch network television news, I was in a store last night where there was a television on and did see his brief interview on ABC News.” said Deschesne. “I think he put his points across nicely and believe he trumped Homeland Security Czar Chertoff who was mindlessly repeating; 'Real ID is the law, the law's the law, blah blah blah.' Mr. Dunlap's comments give me a little more optimism in why he and the legislature are opposing REAL ID. He is now using key words and phrases that strike at the root of the matter such as; ‘individual privacy,’ ‘freedom,’ and ‘REAL ID doesn't do anything to stop terrorism.’”

The MCLU’s Baldwin Award honors Mainers who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the protection of civil liberties. The award is named for the founder of the American Civil Liberties Union, Roger Baldwin.