Louisiana Lawmakers Revisiting REAL ID Compliance

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The leader of the House Transportation Committee is trying to broker a compromise that could put Louisiana driver's licenses in line with a federal identification law. Without it, Louisiana residents could face difficulties trying to board planes in two years.

State lawmakers enacted a prohibition against the federal REAL ID law in 2008, rejecting the added security requirements for a driver's license as too intrusive. Since then, many of the initial identification plans have been scrapped by the federal government.

Rep. Karen St. Germain says it's time to revisit the concerns and see if a deal could be struck to offer people the option of getting a REAL ID-compliant driver's license.

Otherwise, Louisiana residents could need passports to fly domestically by 2016 — or face intense questioning from airport security.