More than 920,000 Idahoans have gotten their Star Cards after federal officials required enhanced identification for plane travel and visiting federal facilities.
That works out to nearly 60% of eligible residents getting the updated ID that complies with the federal Real ID Act.
State DMV Administrator, Lisa McClellan, told state lawmakers on an interim committee concentrating on federalism that demand skyrocketed earlier this spring.
“We started seeing numbers that we’ve never seen before. We were in the high 40s, 50s, we even hit 60,000 in May, of course, when the deadline was here,” McClellan said.
She said that demand led to significant backlogs at county DMV offices across the state, with many offices entirely halting walk-in appointments.
Residents can still choose to forgo a Star Card and instead use a passport, veteran health ID or another federal identification card to board domestic flights and access federal facilities.
To apply for a Star Card, you need to prove both your identity and Idaho residency. You can find a list of acceptable documents here.
During the same meeting Wednesday, Idaho National Laboratory’s director hailed directives from the Trump administration promoting nuclear energy development.
“The long awaited nuclear renaissance must launch during this administration,” said John Wagner.
Wagner cheered four executive orders he said could revitalize a largely stagnant energy sector that he’s witnessed over his three decades in the industry.
“I’ve lived through multiple what were thought to be nuclear renaissances that did not actually emerge as true nuclear renaissances.”
The four executive orders direct federal officials to streamline the current lengthy review process for new nuclear facilities and quadruple nuclear generating capacity by 2050.
Trump also called for nuclear reactors to help power electricity-hungry AI centers, with INL chosen as one of four federal sites to partner with private businesses to help achieve this goal.
Editor’s note: INL is a financial supporter of Boise State Public Radio, but did not have any involvement with this story.
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