LETTER: Fix Montana IDs

| January 10, 2016 11:00 AM

I keep waiting for Gov. Steve Bullock, the Montana Department of Tourism and Business Development, the county commissioners, the Flathead Municipal Airport Authority and the Chamber of Commerce to address the issue that Montana’s drivers licenses are not in compliance with the Real ID Act established 10 years ago.

If Montana does not comply by Oct. 10, 2016, Montana residents will be required to produce a passport to get through security, even for domestic flights. I imagine the majority of Montana citizens do not have a passport. As a result, they will either not travel or will go by car. Either way, the airlines will then cut down on the number of flights into Montana and tourism and business development will decrease.

All of the theoretical and political excuses I’ve heard for noncompliance fail to address the real adverse economic impacts that noncompliance will have on Montana residents and businesses. Where is the leadership on this issue? —Lana Batts, Lakeside