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Maine Real ID Bill Gets Key Committee Vote

AUGUSTA, Maine - A bill to make Maine comply with federal identification standards is gaining key committee support.
 
Two state senators want Republican President Donald Trump to issue an executive order repealing the standards, which they say jeopardize privacy.
 
The Legislature's Transportation Committee on Friday voted 12-1 in favor of an amended version of the bill.
 
The committee will now work on an amendment to allow Mainers to obtain licenses that don't comply with federal standards.
 
The bill would then face initial House and Senate votes.
 
A decade-old state law bars Maine from participating in a federal act that requires state governments to store copies of documents such as birth certificates, which critics say can easily be stolen.
 
 Maine is one of five states deemed non-compliant because it lacks a federal waiver.