Carnahan wants Special Session over Voter ID Act

From the AP Wires this afternoon:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Secretary of State Robin Carnahan wants Governor Blunt to call a special legislative session to allocate money for implementing a voter identification bill. Blunt has said he plans to sign the measure, which will require voters to show a Missouri or federal government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot starting in November.

The bill requires the secretary of state's office to publicize the requirement and the Revenue Department to go around to nursing homes and elsewhere to help people lacking a state I-D card obtain a free one to vote.

Carnahan, a Democrat, sent a letter to the Republican governor Wednesday, asking him to call a special session so lawmakers can set aside funding to meet the bill's requirements. Supporters have said the expenses could either be absorbed from existing budgets or provided for next year, as lawmakers pass a budget bill every year to cover any unexpected costs that arise. During debate on the measure, Democrats argued that the Republican-led administration was vastly underestimating the cost of implementing the legislation -- a claim rejected by supporters