STATE News:

SANTA FE – Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas announced Wednesday it will join the list of federal facilities that no longer accept New Mexico driver’s licenses.

Fort Bliss stated it took the action because driver’s licenses from New Mexico as well as Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota and Washington state do not comply with the federal ID act.

Alternate forms of ID accepted at Fort Bliss include a U.S. passport or passport card; permanent resident alien card; foreign passports that meet the requirements; employment documents that contain a photograph; driver’s licenses or IDs that meet Federal Real ID standards; IDs issued by federal, state or local government agencies if they contain a photo and basic biographical information such as date of birth and address; school ID cards with a photograph; U.S. military or draft record; U.S. Coast Guard Mariner card and Native American tribal documents.

New Mexico State Representatives Paul Pacheco and Andy Nunez proposed a compromise bill Monday to stop the practice of giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and instead issue illegal immigrants driving privilege cards. The proposal would bring New Mexico into compliance with the federal Real ID Act, they said, adding that it is similar to approaches used in California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah.