Some have called it the "Jim Talent Protection Act." The official title is the Voter Protection Act. Whatever label you give it, bring your picture ID with you on Election Day.
Republicans say it's necessary to reduce voter fraud. As Rep. Brian Yates, R-Lee's Summit, put it, "We're basically taking away the right to vote for cheaters."
Republicans were so adamant about passing SB1014, they envoked a rarely-used procedure in the Senate to shut off debate and take a vote. Democrats were stalling the bill's passage because they say there are thousands of poor, elderly and disabled who don't have picture IDs and who will be shut out come Election Day.
Even Republican Rep. Charlie Denison, R-Springfield, conceded a bumpy, albeit, necessary transition: "Any time that you do anything like this, it's going to disenfranchise some people for the first time. And that's sad. But overall I think it will stop fraud and we do need to do that."
From the Assoicated Press Wednesday:
Free photo ID cards could be issued to the estimated 170,000 voting-age Missourians who don't have one. People without a photo ID could cast a provisional ballot, which would count if their identities are verified.
The predictions about the law's impact on voters are all over the map. Other states have passed similar laws. New Mexico came through a recent election just fine.
3 comments:
Can you find us some of the "thousands of poor, elderly and disabled who don't have picture IDs and who will be shut out come Election Day" to ask why they don't have a single piece of photo ID and when it was that they last voted?
The Republican legislators are so arrogant they pass legislation to prevent unethical acts by voters but didn't do one thing to stop their own unethical conduct. Instead they repeal campaign contribution limits overwhelmingly supported by voters in a statewide election. They apparantly consider themselves so ethical they won't be tempted by the unlimited contributions that will now come their way. Voters however couldn't be trusted. Come next November how could voters trust these medicaid slashing bunch.
I can see you guys are driking from the same kool-aid which was thought up by the guy over a fired up.
Nice to see honest, partisan reporting taking place.
Do you happen to know how the DNC came to the 170,000? I do, I have seen the email sent from the secretary of states office to Jimmy Carter's Son (or was it grandson) with the talking points.
Are there really 170,000? Of those estimated people how many are registered voters?
Voter fraud is real. It is not too much to ask for a little identification to prove who you are.
I would agree that there should have been some sort of funding for "state ids" - but to call it what you are is completely irresponsible.
I guess we know who the KY3 news room votes for. Its pretty clear at this point.
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