AUBURN – What do a Republican state representative from Sabattus, the secretary of state, and the executive directors of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and the Maine Civil Liberties Union have in common?

They all think Real ID is bad for Maine, and they’ll be talking about how to keep it out of the state at a public forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Auburn Public Library.

The Real ID Act, which mandates that by 2008 states turn their driver’s licenses into national ID cards that will be part of a 50-state shared database, faces broad bipartisan opposition in Maine.

On Jan. 25, the state Legislature passed a resolution refusing to implement the Real ID Act in this state. A companion bill instructing the Secretary of State not to expend any state funds to implement the program is under consideration by the Legislature.

Real ID had caused real concern at both ends of the political spectrum, drawing together leaders who worry that it’s an unfunded mandate, a bureaucratic nightmare, and a threat to the security of our personal information.

“Nationally, costs of the Real ID Act have been estimated to be around $11 billion. Maine’s share is around $185 million over the first five years,” said Secretary of State Matt Dunlap. “This is more than six times the annual budget for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and none of these costs are addressed by the federal government.”

Members of the public are invited to join Dunlap; state Rep. Scott Lansley, R-Sabattus; Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine Executive Director George Smith; and Maine Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Shenna Bellows at the forum to learn more about Real ID and what people can do to make sure Maine rejects this dangerous legislation. The moderator will be state Rep. Deb Simpson, D- Auburn.