The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has halted all REAL ID roll out efforts across the Commonwealth, after realizing their original plan was “not a sustainable, long-term model.” The Cabinet will now switch gears and focus on securing funding for regional facilities operated by KYTC to issue the new airplane-friendly identification.
KYTC originally planned to install Voluntary Travel ID issuance technology and equipment in Circuit Court Clerk offices in each Kentucky county, but the experience of the pilot roll outs in Franklin and Woodford counties has caused the Cabinet to scrap the idea. Officials in those counties reported nearly double the wait time to obtain an ID.
In a Sept. 6 letter obtained by Owensboro Times, KYTC Secretary Greg Thomas cited, “unforeseen workload and staffing issues” in the county clerk offices.
“Daily transaction volume increased, lengthened processing times, and more complex document review have put major stress on the staff at both locations,” Thomas wrote. “The clerks have been forced to divert staff from essential court functions to assist with the additional driver’s license burden.”
While KYTC did release an official statement Wednesday regarding the REAL ID progress, Owensboro Times was unable to reach the Cabinet for more details on the proposed regional facilities and if one will be located in Daviess County.
At one time, Daviess County Circuit Court Clerk Jennifer Hardesty Besecker expected a local REAL ID roll out in March, but state-level delays left the Clerk’s Office with no timeline for implementation and local citizens confused about the process.
“People come in daily and they assume we already have them,” Hardesty Besecker told Owensboro Times in a July interview. “Some are shocked to hear we don’t have them. Some are extremely angry that we don’t. Some are OK with it and just go ahead and renew and tell us they will come back when we get them.”
To help with the confusion, Hardesty Besecker and her office held a series of information sessions last week at Daviess County Public Library to help educate the public on the Voluntary Travel ID and the necessary documents required to obtain it.
Owensboro Times reached out to Hardesty Besecker regarding KYTC’s recent decision to halt the county-by-county approach utilizing the Circuit Court Clerk’s offices, but she was unable to comment. She did provide a statement from Greg Helton, president of Kentucky Circuit Court Clerk Association.
“Based on the experiences in the pilot counties and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) shared concern of the collateral effect on the administration of justice, the KYTC decided it is in the best interests of the citizens of Kentucky for the KYTC to assume the role of application processor and issuer of all REAL ID-compliant credentials going forward. The Kentucky Association of Circuit Court Clerks (KACCC) and Administrative Office of the Courts agreed this is the best path forward,” the statement read.
Helton said circuit court clerks will continue to process and issue all standard driver’s licenses and ID credentials until a more efficient, cost-effective solution is developed for Kentucky taxpayers.
Once the new credentials become available, Kentuckians will choose between two driver’s licenses.
The Voluntary Travel ID, which meets REAL ID standards, functions like a current Kentucky driver’s license and allows citizens to board domestic flights.
A standard driver’s license, which will continue to be issued by the circuit court clerk’s office, permits citizens to drive, make age-restricted purchases and enter federal buildings, but does not permit citizens to board a domestic plane.
Kentucky has until Oct. 1, 2020 to comply with the federal REAL ID requirement. Until then, current driver’s licenses are still acceptable for domestic flights.
