Minnesota Lawmakers Sign off on Upgraded IDs

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Fear not, Minnesotans worried about boarding flights
next year: A fix from the Legislature is on the way.

Lawmakers have struggled for years to pass a plan complying with the federal
Real ID Act over concerns about federal overreach and a debate about granting
driver's licenses to immigrants living in Minnesota illegally. A 2018 deadline
for upgraded IDs to board domestic flights sparked alarm about travel
disruptions.

Lawmakers finally reached a compromise this week and the House overwhelmingly
passed the bill Wednesday. The Senate was expected to follow suit Wednesday
evening.

Gov. Mark Dayton has indicated he'll sign it. Minnesota would be among the last
states to comply with the 2005 law meant to combat terrorism.

The state expects to start issuing the upgraded IDs sometime next year.