Thread: Kansas Senate set to scrutinize proof-of-citizenship plan

Kansas Senate set to scrutinize proof-of-citizenship plan
31 Comments
By Eagle staff and news services

TOPEKA — Kansas Senate leaders suggested Friday that a requirement for people who register to vote for the first time in the state to prove they're citizens will receive close scrutiny as the chamber considers Secretary of State Kris Kobach's election fraud legislation.

A bill containing Kobach's proposed Secure and Fair Elections Act won House approval on an 83-36 vote Friday, sending it to the Senate.

The measure also would require voters to show photo identification at the polls, increase penalties for election crimes and enact changes designed to make mail ballots more secure. It would give the secretary of state's office the power to file and prosecute election fraud cases in state courts, along with county prosecutors and the attorney general's office.

The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee plans to have a briefing from legislative researchers on election fraud and voter ID issues Thursday. Chairwoman Terrie Huntington, a Fairway Republican, said she'll schedule hearings as soon as possible after that.

"I do have one concern about those who move from another state," Huntington said. "They move to the state of Kansas, and now we have this new voter registration program, and they're not familiar with it."

The measure's enactment would make Kansas the 10th state with a photo ID law, but Kobach said the requirement, combined with the proof of citizenship rule and other provisions in the bill, would give the state the strongest election fraud laws in the nation.

"I'm hopeful that the Senate will move swiftly," Kobach said. "It will be best for everyone if we move relatively quickly so we can get to the implementation."

Opponents, mostly Democrats, argue that Kobach's proposals would seriously hamper efforts to register voters door to door or at sites such as libraries and grocery stores. They also contend that thousands of Kansas residents either won't be able to vote or will have their votes not counted because of the requirements.

Critics of the proposal also question whether Kansas has a significant election fraud problem. Last month, Kobach issued a report saying the secretary of state's office had received 59 reports of alleged irregularities involving at least 221 ballots since 1997, though he suggested those reports represent perhaps only 10 percent of what's actually occurred.

Republicans hold large majorities in both chambers and generally agree with Kobach on the need for a photo ID law.

The Legislature approved a photo ID bill in 2008, but Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius vetoed it. Kobach won last year's election after emphasizing election fraud as an issue, and new Gov. Sam Brownback, also a Republican, supports photo ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements.

Senate Majority Leader Jay Emler, a Lindsborg Republican, said the possible inconvenience of a proof-of-citizenship requirement will be a key issue.

"At this point, nobody has said that's going to kill the bill," Emler said. "They've expressed that as a concern that they want to talk about."

Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2011/02/26/173689 ... z1F7Sg9QIP

Every person who rents, owns property drives or works should be run through E-Verify. That should weed out alot of illegals too.

Dems call Kobach bill voter suppression

By Kris Kobach, Phil Anderson
THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Democratic leaders Saturday questioned the motive behind election fraud legislation championed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach during a panel discussion at Washington Day festivities in Topeka.

During a panel discussion titled Kris Kobach's Extreme Agenda, John Carmichael, chairman of the 4th Congressional District for the Kansas Democratic Party, said the proposed Secure and Fair Elections Act was part of a national "concerted effort to suppress Democratic votes. That's what this is about."

The legislation, which requires people who register to vote for the first time in the state to prove they are citizens, was sent to the Senate after it won House approval on an 83-36 vote Friday.

The measure also would require voters to show photo identification at the polls, increase penalties for election crimes and enact changes designed to make mail ballots more secure. It would give the secretary of state the power to file and prosecute election fraud cases in state courts, along with county prosecutors and the attorney general's office.

The measure's enactment would make Kansas the 10th state with a photo identification law, but Kobach said the requirement, combined with the proof of citizenship rule and other provisions in the bill, would give the state the strongest election fraud laws in the nation.

Kansas Senate leaders suggested Friday that a requirement for people who register to vote for the first time to prove they are citizens will receive close scrutiny as the chamber considers the bill.

Rep. Ann Mah, D-Topeka, said Kobach has "fused the immigration issue into the election issue."

She said a major problem of the bill is the proof of citizenship provision. A person seeking to register to vote for the first time must produce proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, passport or naturalization papers — something most people don't carry with them.

"That is the big hole in the legislation," she said, "so big you can drive a truck through it."

She said Democrats didn't attempt to "put any lipstick on this pig," saying the worse the bill is, the quicker it will be tossed out in a court challenge.

Mah said some voter fraud does take place in instances such as nursing home settings or the mother of a college student filling in a mail-in ballot for a child who is away at a university.

"To deny there's no fraud out there would be to deny reality," said Mah, the ranking Democrat on the House Election Committee. "But when you crunch the numbers, it's a tiny, tiny part of a percentage."

She said voter suppression is "a hundred times" more prevalent.

Mah cautioned Democrats against getting on "the wrong side" of the issue, particularly as 2012 elections loom, but said they can address the issue in a way that doesn't suppress votes — including allowing for a "broad range of IDs" for those seeking to register to vote.

She said similar legislation has cost millions of dollars in other states. Yet, she said, no costs or funding sources have been included with the bill that has been sent to the Kansas Senate.

Margie Wakefield, another panelist, said Kansas isn't seeing "cartloads of people being bused around to vote two or three times.â€

when came to teh us I was scrutinized left and right! Why not illegals? Oh wait a minute it's about ethnic politics! Yes it is and we all need to shame politicians who peddle ethnic politics

check this out
this is out of atlanta, ga.


http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... c&t=216650

This is a step in the right direction. I am tired of going to the polls and wondering if my vote is being diluted by fraud.

Do it Kansas!

It's great to see states taking action.
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Dems are right, this is about voter suppression. Notice how they say Kansas Residents instead of Kansas citizens? Yes its about voter supression, of those who shouldn't vote aka illegal aliens. We wish to supress their illegal vote and that vote would likely be a democrat vote.

Notice how Dems love to speak about the elderly who have a hard time with all this.... those elderly are more likely to be Republicans as by statistics last I checked more then 50% of elderly claim to be republicans.

Even at its very worst a few uneducated minority citizens don't get to vote.... but why? Because they are to lazy to bring in their BC or passport to register? To lazy to go down and actually register w/o someone knocking on your door? Personally I'd rather those people didn't vote while I wouldn't take away their right to if citizens. If someone is to lazy to register with their BC we know they are to lazy to even understand politics and how such would really effect them.