The Maine Civil Liberties Union has submitted a freedom-of-information request to the office of Gov. John Baldacci seeking records relating to the federal Real ID Act, according to the MCLU.

The request, which was made under Maine's right-to-know law, comes one day after Baldacci endorsed new security measures for Maine driver's licenses to end a stalemate with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over the state's failure to comply with the Real ID law.

That law is designed to make the states' driver's licenses more uniform and more secure.

The federal agency had threatened to reject the use of Maine driver's licenses as a valid ID to board airplanes and enter federal buildings starting next month, unless the state took steps to tighten its licensing procedures by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Baldacci pledged Wednesday to seek legislative approval of various changes, including an end to the state's practice of issuing licenses to aliens without first verifying that they are in the country legally. The federal government then granted Maine an extension to comply with the Real ID Act.

Maine was the last state to receive such an extension. Baldacci proposed the licensing crackdown even though state law prohibits Maine from complying with the Real ID Act.