Voter ID showdown looms in Austin this weekend

Months of contentious debate could come to a head tomorrow with a looming legislative showdown at the Statehouse in Austin over the controversial voter ID bill, SB 362. Speaker of the House Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) has scheduled the bill for debate on Saturday. The bill would require Texas citizens to show a photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID in order to vote.

The House Calendar Committee voted 7-5 to schedule the bill, with all seven Republicans voting for, and all five Democrats voting against. But whether the debate and vote will take place is a question mark. Democrats have talked about not showing up and thereby denying the House a quorum, the minimum number of members required for conducting the business of the group. The Dems would have to leave the state through Tuesday to pull off such a strategy though, since that’s the deadline to pass Senate bills on second reading.

The Texas Democratic Party is asking supporters to call Straus’ Capitol office to voice their opposition to the “unnecessary, partisan legislation.â€