Voter ID

Legislation that requires Texas voters to provide photo identification prior to casting ballots is one step nearer to passage. Debate on the measure which may take only a present driver’s license or state-issued personal identification card, a military ID, a citizenship certificate or perhaps a valid U.S. passport as photo identification. The Senate voted along party lines to move the bill from committee. Senators, who should wait 24 hours prior to they take up the measure again. Twelve Senate Democrats, who identified that they don’t have enough votes to block the legislation, said the bill hurts vulnerable Texans who do not have photo identification, tankless water heaters live in remote areas in the state and face circumstances like homelessness or have religious beliefs making it difficult to meet such criteria. But Republicans, who number 19 within the Senate, did not waver as they pushed forward using the legislation that would only exempt voters who’re at least 70 years old by January 2012. Democrats bombarded the bill’s author, Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, with questions about its expenses and intentions. At 1 point, Fraser wondered if he was being filibustered. The bill would come having a $2 million price tag that pays for the coaching of election workers and advertising the new guidelines. It does not include the cost of issuing totally free identification cards to individuals who say they require them to vote. It also doesn’t take into account any financial impact on the state’s jail system. Under the bill, those attempting to commit voter fraud face a state jail felony that is punishable by up to two years behind bars along with a $10,000 fine. Really voting illegally could be considered a second-degree felony. That could mean a $10,000 fine and as much as 20 years in prison. Through their questioning, Democrats signaled that they would introduce amendments to metal detector make the legislation much more similar to an unsuccessful bill that Republicans filed two years ago. That bill would have required photo identification or two alternate types of ID without a photo. State Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso, stated Democrats are against voter fraud but evidence of such fraud has not been presented. Those amendments would permit voters to register and vote on the same day, lower the age of exempted individuals to 65 years old and stiffen penalties for voter harassment and intimidation. They would also attempt to permit other types of identification such as government-issued Medicare cards and would push for the state to study the impact that the law has on Texans following it passes. Democrats argued that the Texas bill — which is modeled following the state of Indiana with some differences — was too restrictive and might be challenged in court under the federal Voting Rights Act. Republicans stated the U.S. microdermabrasion machines Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s voter identification legislation and added they think the bill will meet the requirements of the Voting Rights Act following amendments are incorporated. Jerry Bonnet, common counsel for Indiana’s Secretary of State, defended his state’s law. He seemed to give both parties ammunition. Bonnet said there had been few instances of voter disenfranchisement following the law passed. He did, nevertheless, concede that there was small evidence of fraud before the state passed the law. And he noted differences within the Indiana law that allow for religious exceptions, let voters cast a ballot with an expired photo identification and allow college IDs so long as an expiration date may be confirmed. Representatives from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the NAACP and also the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities said the proposed legislation is more restrictive than that of any in the eight present photo identification laws in the country. They stated the Legislature should be focused on reforms needed to improve access hard money lenders to voting. All three groups called for the inclusion of more types of acceptable identification. Group representatives also worried about a stipulation that would allow voters to cast a provisional ballot without photo ID but would need them to return inside six days so their votes can be counted. Andres Tijerina, a history professor at Austin Community College, warned lawmakers against passage in the bill as he detailed the state’s voting history, which he stated mainly, hurt Mexican-Americans. Supporters of the legislation stated photo identification is the only method to confirm that individuals are not stealing the identities of others to vote.