Minnesota House Passes Real ID Legislation

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota House has passed a Real ID bill by a vote of 72-58 after years of concern about government overreach and data privacy surrounding the federal law.

Lawmakers are staring down a January 2018 deadline to distribute federally-approved IDs before Minnesota residents are barred from boarding domestic flights and entering military bases with their old IDs. Minnesota is one of only five states that is considered non-compliant.

Many Democrats pushed against a provision in the bill that they say would bar illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses. An amendment to strip that language failed.

House Speaker Kurt Daudt says he is confident the legislation will be signed into law this year and says the two chambers will be able reconcile differences between their bills when that time comes.