Latest news with #JimHudson
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More than 850,000 Arkansans have REAL IDs
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – More than 850,000 Arkansans have received a REAL ID, according to officials with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. DFA officials said some revenue offices in the state have temporarily reached capacity but are working to continue servicing customers with REAL IDs. Travelers at Little Rock airport see change as REAL ID enforcement begins DFA officials said more than 150,000 REAL IDs were issued in just over a month. 'This week some offices temporarily reached capacity in relation to REAL ID and customers were redirected to nearby offices,' DFA Secretary Jim Hudson said. 'However, our offices are being continually restocked with necessary supplies, and DFA staff are working tirelessly to make sure our customers get served.' REAL ID takes effect in Arkansas. So, what if I don't have one? Hudson suggested that those who do not need an immediate need for a REAL ID to return later in May to avoid long lines. Appointments can also be made at Those who do not have a REAL ID can go through extra screening at an airport to board a flight. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
REAL ID requirements among policies difficult for transgender, nonbinary Arkansans to navigate
(Courtesy of the Department of Finance and Administration) Gender-nonconforming Arkansans might not meet the state's requirements to obtain a REAL ID in order to board flights or enter certain federal buildings, which is a week away from being required by federal law. Applicants for REAL IDs need to provide the Department of Finance and Administration with four different forms of identification: A current driver's license, state-issued ID, or school or work ID as proof of identity A passport or birth certificate as proof of legal presence in the United States A government-issued social security card Two documents providing proof of address, such as utility bills or bank statements, issued within the last six months The documents 'all have to sync up,' Finance Secretary Jim Hudson said last week. Transgender and nonbinary Arkansans might have changed their names or gender information on some but not all legal documents, and state policies have made it difficult for these groups of people to obtain documents that accurately reflect who they are, advocates say. Birth certificates can be legally altered, and until this year, the federal government allowed gender-neutral information on U.S. passports. 'The government has played politics with people's lives and upended people's ability to accurately and properly identify themselves,' said Holly Dickson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas. 'This has created much chaos and turmoil for no good reason while making life harder and more unsafe for all of us.' Last year, the ACLU of Arkansas led a lawsuit against the DFA's decision to stop issuing gender-neutral driver's licenses. The case was dropped after Arkansas officials permanently adopted the new policy, which prohibits the use of an 'X' to indicate someone's gender in place of 'M' or 'F.' Arkansans urge state finance department not to reverse gender-neutral driver's license policy Several transgender and nonbinary Arkansans, including Maggs Gallup of Little Rock, urged the finance department to maintain the previous policy, which had been in place for 14 years. Gallup said in an interview Monday that they are putting off obtaining a REAL ID in case doing so requires the state to remove the X gender marker from their driver's license. Hudson told lawmakers that a driver's license is 'not a platform for speech' and 'not a platform for personal identity.' Gallup disagreed, saying their gender-neutral ID is important to them and putting incorrect information on an ID is 'a deeply incongruent thing to do.' 'In an ideal world, it would be great to have the state and officials recognize our gender,' Gallup said. 'They don't get to determine who we are, no matter what letters we put on our IDs.' REAL IDs began with a law passed by Congress in 2005 as a response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Instituting REAL IDs statewide 'will help fight terrorism and reduce identity fraud,' according to the finance department website. The federal Transportation Security Administration accepts passports in place of REAL IDs as identification to board a flight. Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a well-known transgender advocate who lives in Little Rock, said last week on Facebook that she was initially denied access to a flight because she has an X on her driver's license, but she was allowed to board after displaying her passport containing a male gender marker. Griffin-Gracy is 78 years old and gender-nonconforming, and she was present at the 1969 Stonewall riot between LGBTQ+ people and police in New York City. In her Facebook video, she expressed disbelief that her passport was accepted even though she did not appear masculine. She also said 'we the people' should 'stand up and fight' President Donald Trump's administration, which does not recognize gender-neutral IDs. Gallup said they are also concerned about potential limits on travel, both domestic and international, with or without a REAL ID. Their teenage child is old enough to learn to drive but is putting off obtaining a learner's permit because of potential bureaucratic obstacles due to their gender-nonconforming identity, Gallup said. Bill regulating transgender Arkansans' bathroom use heads to House despite public pushback 'This is just one part of a larger, really complicated network of new rules and legislation that are challenging to navigate' for transgender and nonbinary Arkansans, Gallup said. State lawmakers and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders approved a law this month that will allow Arkansans to sue for damages if they encounter someone in a bathroom, changing room, shelter or correctional facility who does not align with the 'designated sex' of the space. The state has also enacted laws in the past few years that ban transgender girls from playing girls' sports, require public school students to use bathrooms that match their gender assigned at birth, regulate pronoun use in schools and allow doctors who provide transgender minors' health care to be sued for medical malpractice. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
State health department extends hours to help Arkansans meet REAL ID deadline
(Courtesy of the Department of Finance and Administration) The Arkansas Health Department is extending hours of operation Saturday at local health units in response to increased demand for birth certificates, an important document for obtaining a REAL ID. Beginning May 7, REAL IDs will be required for all Americans to board domestic flights or enter certain federal buildings. According to a press release, the following ADH locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to issue certified birth certificates: ADH Main Office, Vital Records — 4815 W. Markham, Little Rock Pulaski Central Local Health Unit — 3915 W. 8th Street, Little Rock Washington County Local Health Unit — 3270 Wimberly Drive, Fayetteville Craighead County Local Health Unit — 611 E. Washington Avenue, Jonesboro Miller County Local Health Unit — 503 Walnut, Texarkana Drew County Local Health Unit — 940 Scogin Drive, Monticello Arkansans must bring a valid driver's license and pay a $12 fee to obtain a birth certificate. More information about obtaining birth certificates is available on the health department's website. Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration officials earlier this week announced driver's license offices in five cities would also have extended hours Saturday to assist Arkansans attempting to acquire their REAL IDs ahead of next month's deadline. Offices in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Texarkana and Monticello will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Appointments are recommended but not required, and can be scheduled on the finance department's website. REAL IDs began with a 2005 law passed by Congress in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Instituting REAL IDs statewide 'will help fight terrorism and reduce identity fraud,' according to the finance department website. REAL IDs are signified by a gold star on a driver's license or state-issued ID card. The state finance department has issued roughly 140,000 REAL IDs since Jan. 1, including 52,000 in March, bringing the statewide total to roughly 800,000, DFA Secretary Jim Hudson said in a Tuesday press conference. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Finance department: Five Arkansas DMVs will be open Saturday to meet demand for REAL IDs
Secretary of Finance and Administration Jim Hudson responds to interview questions about Arkansas' implementation of REAL IDs ahead of the federal May 7 deadline at the department's Ragland Building in Little Rock on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) State driver's license offices in five Arkansas cities will be open Saturday to accommodate demand for REAL IDs, which will be required for all Americans to board flights or enter certain federal buildings starting May 7, the department announced Tuesday. REAL IDs are signified by a gold star on a driver's license or state-issued ID cards. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration has issued roughly 140,000 REAL IDs since Jan. 1, including 52,000 in March, bringing the statewide total to roughly 800,000, Secretary Jim Hudson said in a news conference. All 134 DMVs statewide can issue REAL IDs in person, Hudson said. The five offices open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday will be in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Texarkana and Monticello, according to a news release. 'We will only be issuing REAL IDs in those offices this Saturday so we can focus on serving those customers who have the greatest need for it, particularly if you plan to travel in the coming future,' Hudson said. '…I don't want anybody going to the airport and getting turned away and having their travel plans frustrated because you don't have a REAL ID.' Appointments for Saturday are recommended but not required, and people can schedule appointments on the finance department website. REAL IDs began with a law passed by Congress in 2005 as a response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Instituting REAL IDs statewide 'will help fight terrorism and reduce identity fraud,' according to the finance department website. Applicants for REAL IDs need to pay a $40 fee and provide the finance department with four different forms of identification: A current driver's license, state-issued ID, or school or work ID as proof of identity A passport or birth certificate as proof of legal presence in the United States A government-issued social security card Two documents providing proof of address, such as utility bills or bank statements, issued within the last six months The documents 'all have to sync up,' making the process more secure than the one to apply for a regular driver's license because it's difficult to falsify all four documents, Hudson said. Individuals who have legally changed their names will need to provide proof of doing so, such as a marriage license or divorce decree, according to the finance department. Arkansans should remember that obtaining a social security card 'may take a little bit of time' since the federal government must deliver it to the requester via snail mail, state revenue commissioner Charlie Collins said at the news conference. Arkansas drivers can get digital licenses, but don't get rid of your printed one yet The federal Transportation Security Administration accepts passports in place of REAL IDs as identification to board a flight, but federal buildings under the jurisdiction of other agencies, such as courthouses and nuclear power facilities, might have different ID requirements for entry, Hudson said. The finance department has been focused 'on making the REAL ID process as smooth, convenient and accessible to Arkansans as it can possibly be made,' including by providing REAL IDs the day they are requested instead of mailing them to applicants weeks later, Collins said. He added that about 20,000 Arkansans have opted into the finance department's new option for a digital driver's license, which also functions as a REAL ID if someone has provided the proper documentation. Additionally, Arkansans can choose whether to renew their driver's licenses for an additional fee while obtaining a REAL ID if the license has not yet expired, Hudson said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fayetteville Revenue Office open Saturday to ‘ensure access to REAL ID': DFA
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) says the Fayetteville Revenue Office will be open on Saturday, April 26, to ensure access to REAL ID. REAL IDs are required for Arkansans to board a flight starting on May 7, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). They are also required to enter certain federal buildings or a nuclear power plant. Ahead of the May 7 deadline, the Fayetteville Revenue Office at 3086 West Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard will be open Saturday to accommodate residents who may be traveling soon or need a REAL ID. The Arkansas DFA says it issued 52,000 REAL IDs in March, bringing the total to 800,000. Can you fly without a REAL ID after the May deadline? Those planning to get their REAL IDs on April 26 can make an appointment on the DFA's website, however, it is not required. The appointments on Saturday are only for REAL IDs. The DFA says all other revenue office-related services must be done Monday through Friday. 'DFA has streamlined the process of obtaining a REAL ID, which can be completed in a matter of a few minutes,' DFA Secretary Jim Hudson said in a news release on Tuesday. 'Our offices are prepared for the large number of Arkansans that will be visiting offices between now and May 7. From eliminating waiting through the new appointment system to serving citizens on Saturday, DFA is committed to providing a great experience.' The DFA encourages Arkansans to visit the state's REAL ID website before heading to the revenue office. For more information on REAL IDs, visit the Department of Homeland Security's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
