You know common sense is riding in the back seat when you’re required to present more identification at your local movie theater than at your polling place.
But in light of last years’ Supreme Court decision affirming an
Recently, the Texas State Senate voted 18-13, with all but one Republican voting with the majority, to exempt a photo ID bill from the rule mandating a two-thirds majority to bring up legislation. The rule blocked a similar effort in 2007.
The vote ensures that
Currently, federal law says that first time voters must present identification if they registered by mail and did not verify their identification in their application.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 24 states have laws that go beyond the federal requirements and ask voters to present an ID before casting a ballot, with seven of these states requiring a photo ID. In most cases, a person without a photo ID is allowed to cast a provisional ballot.
Hopefully, as the current legislative session progresses, voting shall become more secure and common sense may be back in the drivers’ seat. Guarantees that opponents will not kick the back of said seat are less than certain.
3 comments:
Voter ID was punted to the House, where Joe Straus is unlikely to let it gain any momentum. Dewhurst let the Senate exempt voter ID from the 2/3 rule knowing he'd be able to point at it later as one of his victories as LG when he (inevitably) runs for another office.
With House cmte assignments out today, we'll have to pray hard for voter ID to get a fair hearing, much less a fair vote.
Does any reasonable voter in the country not want voter ID? Why would anyone not want to have some protection in place that assures us that our vote counts, and that no one is fraudulently voting.
But it appears that Republicans are the only ones who want to protect our democratic process which assures each citizen that their vote will count.
Betty Brown, who filed the House bill, is on the committee that it will likely go through, so at least Straus will be able to say he gave supporters a fair hearing.
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