Local News
Related Photos
-
Rick Barbero
Tools
Senator co-sponsors bill to protect privacy rights
CHARLESTON — Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, says privacy rights are imperiled by a move in Congress to impose a Real ID on Americans and it’s an act he intends to block in West Virginia.
His bill introduced Thursday with 11 co-sponsors flatly declares that West Virginia won’t take part in the 2005 act.
Moreover, it says the Department of Transportation is directed against implementing the federal act’s provisions, and that it must inform the governor of any effort by federal agencies, including Homeland Security, to use records in the Motor Vehicles Division to put it in force.
Barnes said privacy rights are a constitutional guarantee and viewed upon by West Virginians as “sacred.”
“Real ID gives the government access in one fell swoop to a lot of our information,” the senator said.
“First of all, the government hasn’t told us exactly what they want to do with all this information. And that ought to make people nervous.”
Barnes finds it troubling that such cards contain a wide range of personal data — medical, purchasing, credit and the like — and even more could be stashed on the cards.
Hypothetically, since he often hunts in Canada, the senator drew a scenario where he legally buys a rifle in West Virginia but in passing through “the gun-unfriendly state of Massachusetts” gets stopped on a traffic violation.
“They run my driver’s license and guess what’s on my driver’s license?” he asked.
“The fact that I purchased a firearm in West Virginia. And I had no idea it was illegal in Massachusetts. And now I’m charged as a felon in Massachusetts. I have done something that was very legal in West Virginia.”
Co-sponsoring the bipartisan bill were Sens. Shirley Love, D-Fayette, John Unger, D-Berkeley, John Yoder, R-Jefferson, Jon Blair Hunter, D-Monongalia, Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio, Jeffrey Kessler, D-Marshall, Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha, Donna Boley, R-Pleasants, and Larry Edgell, D-Wetzel.
Barnes also is questioning why federal authorities want to know the medical records of citizens.
“I don’t think there’s a soul in the world that wants his medical records out on one card, and your financial records,” he said.
Barnes said he doesn’t buy the argument that Real ID is vital to national security.
“They’re using this as an excuse to inflict this on 100 percent of the population when, by golly, we should have enough sense that there are times for discrimination,” he said.
— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com
- Local News
-
- Tentative agreement reached between Appalachian Regional Healthcare and the United Steelworkers of America A tentative collective bargaining agreement between Appalachian Regional Healthcare and the United Steelworkers of America was reached Wednesday for more than 2,300 ARH employees represented by the USW in eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia.
-
Greenbrier to host Fun Fest and Egg Hunt
The Greenbrier will host its first Community Children’s Easter Fun Fest and Egg Hunt for children ages 3-12 March 28.
-
Bluestone Wildlife Area cleaning up from flood
Very little flooding was reported along the New River near Bluestone Dam Saturday, but in other locations the river overflowed its banks and caused considerable damage, including in the Bluestone Wildlife Management Area, officials said.
-
W.Va. gets $72 million in school construction bonds
West Virginia is getting more than $72 million in federal bonds for public schools.
-
Officials seek federal declaration for flood recovery
Gov. Joe Manchin, Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Congressman Nick Rahall have sent requests to the president for a federal disaster declaration for Greenbrier, Mercer, Summers, Fayette, Kanawha and Raleigh counties in the wake of last weekend’s flooding.
-
SCHOOL CLOSINGS and DELAYS
Click HERE to go to the West Virginia Department of Education with up-to-date school closings and delays by county.
-
Flood recovery continues
Southern West Virginia residents continued to mop up floodwaters and shovel sludge Monday, working to clean out their homes and rebuild their lives.
-
Flood recovery continues
Southern West Virginia residents continued to put the pieces of their homes and lives back together Tuesday as recovery from last weekend’s severe flooding continued.
-
Calendar — Thursday, March 18, 2010
today's events
-
Two injured in ambulance crash
Two Greenbrier County ambulance service employees were injured Wednesday, one seriously, when their ambulance struck two trees, Lewisburg police said.
- More Local News Headlines
