Immigrant Licenses Complicate Minnesota’s Real ID Effort

ST. PAUL. (AP) - Gov. Mark Dayton is pressing lawmakers to grant driver's
licenses to immigrants living in Minnesota illegally as part of the effort to
comply with stronger federal ID requirements.

The Legislature has struggled for years to comply with Real ID, which will
require upgraded IDs for domestic flights in January 2018. Dayton's position
adds another possible hurdle.

It's a non-starter for Republicans. The House passed a Real ID compliance bill
last week explicitly banning driver's licenses from going to those immigrants.

But the Democratic governor says immigrants driving without a license or
insurance makes it a public safety issue. Dayton said Wednesday he's urging
Senate Democrats this week to ``hold together'' and insist that the law expand
IDs.

Top Senate Republicans say Dayton is jeopardizing the bill's passage.