Welcome to the e-Voices MONDAY MINUTE, your weekly email newsletter from New Mexico Voices for Children. Please take a minute to add your voice to the pressing issues of the day. Also, tell us what issues you'd like to know more about so we can tailor the MONDAY MINUTE to your interests. Thanks!

January 1, 2007

Happy New Year!

The New Mexico Voices for Children office has been closed for the holiday, but we'll be back in (bright and early) on Tuesday, Jan. 2nd. Since today's a holiday, we'll keep this short:

Will the Real I.D. Please Stand Up?

Many people have criticized the "Real I.D. Act" passed by Congress in 2005 as an attempt at instituting a national I.D card. Under the Act, which goes into effect in 2008, state driver's licenses and I.D. cards will not be accepted for "federal purposes" (i.e., boarding an airplane) unless they meet certain conditions.

In response to the Act, New Mexico's MVD is now proposing changes to the regulations for obtaining a driver's license or state I.D. that will make obtaining them extremely difficult - if not impossible - for many people. The list of acceptable documents under the proposed regulations is very restrictive, and will result in many New Mexicans, especially people who are homeless or have lost their identifying papers, from being able to obtain a state I.D.

We believe that the MVD is jumping the gun, as the state Legislature is planning to address the Real I.D. Act – and how the state will implement it – in this year's session. The New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness (of which we are a member) asks for your help in keeping the MVD at bay.

What you can do:

• Attend the MVD hearing on the proposed regulations on Wednesday, January 3, at 9:30am in the 1st floor auditorium of the Harold Runnels Bldg., 1190 St. Francis Dr. in Santa Fe
• If you cannot attend the hearing, submit written comments to MVD at: Taxation and Revenue Department, Director of Tax Policy, P.O. Box 630, Santa Fe, NM 87504-0630
• Contact your state legislators and tell them of your concerns. Find contact info for your legislator here: http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/.
  

Call for Nominees

We're still accepting nominations for our 2007 Amy Biehl Youth Spirit Award. The award honors New Mexico youths (ages 13 through 26) who are making a difference in their communities through service work or outreach. This year we've split the award into two age groups – 13 to 18 and 19 to 26. One finalist and one winner will be selected from each of the age groups.

The deadline for nominations is 3pm, Friday, Feb. 9, 2007. If you'd like a nomination packet mailed to you call 505-244-9505, ext. 10. You can also download the forms here: www.nmvoices.org/abysa.htm. The awards ceremony will be Friday, April 20, 2007, in Albuquerque.

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