Via Twitter this afternoon, from Representative Stacey Newman (D):

RepStaceyNewman ‏@staceynewman
REAL ID debate has gone into Alternate Reality. MIssourians, Good luck flying with your driver license after Jan 2018. #moleg
1:56 PM – 21 Feb 2017

No kidding?

An amendment [pdf] to HB 151 offered by Representative Robert Ross (r):

AMEND House Committee Substitute for House Bill No. 151 Page 1 Section A Line 2 by inserting immediately after all of said section and line the following:

“115.016 Any elected official who votes for takes an action to support a measure seeking compliance with the federal REALID Act of 2005 shall display in a prominent location in bold font with a text height not less than one-tenth of the article being circulated at each and every election the member files for after the affirmative vote for action the following description of his or her allegiance:

I WOULD RATHER KNEEL TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAN STAND STRONG PROTECTING MY CONSTITUENTS’ RIGHT TO PRIVACY”; and

Further amend said bill by amending the title enacting clause and intersectional references accordingly.

The amendment failed in a roll call vote [pdf] of 21 YES, 119 NO, 12 PRESENT, and 10 ABSENT.

Think about it. Thirty-three state representatives thought enough of this amendment to either vote for it or stand by and not oppose it.

So, if Missouri doesn’t conform to federal REAL ID requirements are Robert Ross (r), the twenty others who voted for this amendment, and the twelve who were “present” going to take calls, kneeling or not, from their upset constituents who can’t travel on domestic commercial flights without a passport after January 2018? Just asking.

Previously:

HB 361 (2009): creating a REAL ID mess for Missourians – HB 151 and HB 166 (2017): sort of try to fix it (December 14, 2016)

HB 954: “That’s not how it works. That’s not how any of this works.” (February 21, 2017)