Thread: TX Senators spar over voter ID; House healing continues

This is great-great news for Texas

Senators spar over voter ID; House healing continues
By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau
Posted: 01/15/2009 12:00:00 AM MST


AUSTIN -- Texas senators spent hours Wednesday in a heated partisan fight over whether voters should bring identification to the polls.

Not far away, the Texas House, long known for its partisan brawls, worked to heal bruises from similar struggles in the newly begun legislative session.

On the first working day of the legislative session, Republicans, over the fervent objections of Democrats, pushed through a rules change that will allow the GOP to force a vote on photo identification requirements that have been stymied in the past.

State Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, presented a resolution to suspend the so-called two-thirds rule, which allows the minority party to block legislation. The measure passed by a vote of 18-13.

Poll is still open, please vote

Voting ID
Do you think voters should have to show identification at the polls?
Total Votes = 1246
Yes
91.97 %
No
8.025 %

In 2007, Democrats used the two-thirds rule to block the GOP from passing a voter ID bill by making sure all 11 of the Democrats were on the Senate floor to vote against bringing up the measure. Now the chamber has 12 Democrats and 19 Republicans, making it more likely Democrats could stop the bill again.

Williams and other Republicans argued that requiring photo ID is critical to ensure the integrity of the ballot box.

Williams said suspending the rule, which has been in effect since 1956, was the only way the issue could come up for a vote.

"It is fundamental to our way of life," Williams said.

Currently, six or seven other states require voters to present a photo ID.

Democrats said Texas has had little or no voter fraud.

And they fear that the requirement would disenfranchise minority and elderly voters who cannot afford or lack access to photo identification.
"Undocumented people do not want to contact officials, so this fear that there are large numbers of undocumented people voting cannot be supported," said state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston.

Suspending the traditional rule to get the partisan measure passed, Democrats said, was unfair and set the chamber up for other situations where Republicans could ram legislation through the chamber that has prided itself on civility and diplomacy.

"Changing the rules just to win is wrong," said state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso.

Why not, Democrats asked, also change the rules to allow lawmakers to more easily pass bills that would reduce tuition rates, provide more children with health insurance or pay for more services for military veterans?

The partisan maneuvering, Shapleigh said, was reminiscent of the dictatorial House leadership of former Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland.

Across the Capitol complex, Craddick's successor, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, spoke to the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus. It was the first time in at least six years that the Texas House speaker visited the group of primarily Democratic lawmakers.

"Coming over to embrace the Mexican-American caucus is a sign he's willing to work across the aisle and assure this group that things will be OK," said state Rep. Chente Quintanilla, D-El Paso.

State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, chairman of the caucus, the largest such group in the nation with 44 members, said Straus' visit within 24 hours of his election to lead the House showed sincere interest in bipartisanship.

Under the previous speaker, Martinez Fischer said, the caucus did not have a seat at the table of power.

"It's more than symbolic," Martinez Fischer said.

State Rep. Norma Chávez, D-El Paso, said she hoped the new speaker's promised bipartisan leadership would prevent House squabbles over divisive issues like voter ID.

"We hope that Speaker Straus will recognize that as a body we're not trying to divide," she said.

Brandi Grissom may be reached at bgrissom@elpasotimes.com; 512-479-6606.


http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_11457254

Do you think voters should have to show identification at the polls?
Total Votes = 1253
Yes
92.01 %
No
7.980 %

And they fear that the requirement would disenfranchise minority and elderly voters who cannot afford or lack access to photo identification.

How are they cashing those Social Security Checks?

The Senate Democrats are all Liberal Wacks and now they are pissed.

Democrats said, was unfair and set the chamber up for other situations where Republicans could ram legislation through the chamber that has prided itself on civility and diplomacy.

After the appalling things Democrats did last session, using the Blocker Rule they left the Republicans no choice. Not to mention the hateful campaings they ran to get one more Democrat elected to the Senate. Cough-cough Wendy Davis. The Democrats had this coming and I'm glad they got what they deserve.

Democrats said Texas has had little or no voter fraud.

That's because when you are in the cemetery and someone is using your voter's registration card to vote, you the decesed can't report the crime or show up to vote so the fraud will be detected by election officials. Anyone in posession of your voters registration card can vote in your name. Fraud doesn't get reported, unless someone gets caught by the real voter.

Dixie