AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Maine's governor ended months of discussion with his signature on Friday.
Governor Paul LePage signed 'An Act To Require State Compliance with Federal REAL ID Guidelines,” which now puts Maine in compliance with all federal law.
LePage said in a press release, 'It is in the best interest of Mainers for state officials to unite in going forward with REAL ID implementation. Many Democrats provided a disservice by not passing this bill a long time ago."
The governor added, 'As we work on this process, we have been reassured Maine will be extended a waiver to allow residents to continue using non-compliant ID cards beyond January 2018. I want to thank Senator Diamond for advocating for this comprehensive bill that aims to better safeguard all Mainers and meet federal security standards.'
In January, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the state of Maine was "not in compliance" with the REAL ID Act.
According to DHS, that meant Maine residents could not use their license and would have needed a different form of identification to access nuclear power plants or Federal Facilities.
Maine stste Sen. Bill Diamond (D-Windham), sponsor of LD 306, “An Act To Require State Compliance with Federal REAL ID Guidelines,' said' 'Maine has dodged a bullet. By signing this bill into law, Governor LePage reassures Mainers are no longer at a disadvantage, nor will we be an outlier as a state. Non-compliance with REAL ID has created unnecessary inconveniences for Mainers, especially our veterans, and now we are able to move forward.'
