<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">I understand that the REAL ID was passed this year at the Legislature meeting. When will it go into effect?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 14 signed REAL ID-related measures into law, allowing state residents to choose between licenses that comply with the federal law — making them acceptable credentials for air travel — and those that don’t.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The provisions took effect immediately.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">In a news release issued the day of the signing, the governor’s office said the state Office of Motor Vehicles planned to have the licenses available by the fall.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">An Associated Press report from that day said that Karen St. Germain, OMV commissioner, had set Sept. 1 as the target date.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">St. Germain on Thursday told The Informer that date remains the agency’s goal, but that officials are working to make the new licenses available as soon as possible.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Under the law, both kinds of licenses must bear markings that indicate whether they comply with the REAL ID Act of 2005, an anti-terrorism measure that sets national standards on identification cards.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Each applicant for a driver’s license shall be informed that he is not required by law to be issued a REAL ID compliant driver’s license and may be issued a driver’s license which is not REAL ID compliant,” reads the new state law.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“The applicant shall be required to indicate on his driver’s license application whether he is applying for a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or a driver’s license that is not REAL ID compliant.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">In 2014, St. Germain, then a Democratic House member from Pierre Part, sponsored a bill to allow Louisianians to choose to receive a license or identification card that complies with the federal law.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The Legislature passed the measure — House Bill 907 — but then-Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed it, citing “concerns about whether it will compromise Louisiana’s sovereignty over what is fundamentally a state method of identification.”</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.expresslane.org.</span>

<span class="R~sep~AHeadBrief">Damaged trusses led to sign removal</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">I’ve recently noticed the overhead signs along I-10 near the Enterprise Boulevard exit (31A westbound) and the Westlake exit (27) have been removed. Why were they taken down? Are there any plans to put new signs up?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“The signs in question were removed due to damage incurred to the trusses holding them up,” Deidra Druilhet, a state Department of Transportation and Development spokeswoman, wrote in an email.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“DOTD is working on plans for the installation of new signs.”</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.dotd.la.gov.</span>

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<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">The I</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nform</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">er answers questions from rea</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ders each Sunday, Monday a</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nd Wednesday. It is re</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">searched and written by</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Andrew Perzo</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">, an</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">American Press</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">staff wri</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ter. To ask a question, call</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">494-409</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">8 and leave voice mail, or ema</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">il informer@americanpress.com.</span>