The Los Angeles Times has more on the illegal immigrant license question:

The issue has been a source of controversy in several states, from California (where Gov. Gray Davis, who supported licensing, was recalled in 2003) to New York (where Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s call to grant licenses has drawn fire in recent days). It probably will stay alive during the 2008 campaign as states move to meet a set of deadlines, the first in May, for complying with the Real ID Act of 2005.

That law sets nationwide standards designed to make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to secure driver’s licenses. In its final report, the independent commission that investigated the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, recommended federal license standards as a way to prevent would-be terrorists in the U.S. from getting around lax state laws and obtaining a recognized form of identification.

So far, only three states have enacted measures to comply with Real ID. Fourteen others — citing the cost of compliance, along with a dislike of federal intrusion — have passed measures saying they will not comply with the law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.