Thread: TX-Stalling kills voter ID bill; special session a possibili

Stalling kills voter ID bill; special session a possibility

El Paso Times
By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau
Posted: 05/27/2009 07:45:21 AM MDT

AUSTIN -- A measure that would require voters to show photo identification succumbed Tuesday to a Democratic talking-to-death in the Texas House on the fifth day of incessant delays that also invited the specter of special legislative session.
"Were we to pass that legislation, in fact, it would suppress voters in this state," state Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, said in a rare and emotional "privilege speech" on the House floor.

Republicans, who argue that photo identification is key to maintaining election integrity, accused Democrats of obstructionism as the 140-day legislative session entered its final week. Democrats shot back at Republicans, saying they were putting partisan politics ahead of other important measures.

"We really want to get to the people's work," state Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, leader of the House Democrats, told reporters. "We want to get past this."

The biennial lawmaking marathon will end June 1, and a special session seemed possible Tuesday as several other critical issues appeared poised to die along with the voting bill. The voter identification measure has already been approved in the Senate after a bitter partisan battle, and the deadline for the bill to pass the House was midnight Tuesday.

State Rep. Larry Taylor, chairman of the House Republican Caucus, said the Democrats were behaving like "whiny kids throwing a fit on the floor."

He conceded that the measure could be doomed.

"Apparently, according to the Democrat Party, it is," Taylor said. "The Democrats right now are in control of the place."

El Paso legislators said most of the local legislative priorities would be safe, despite the continued stalling in the Texas House.

A bill that would allow El Paso County to create an ethics commission with punishment powers and one that would exempt local school districts from stormwater utility fees were finally approved Tuesday and sent to Gov. Rick Perry's desk.

State Rep. Norma Chávez, D-El Paso, said Democrats had to take a stand against suppressing voter turnout.

"This is clearly a Jose Crow strategy in the 21st century," Chávez said.

State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, said he was working in the upper chamber to rescue imperiled bills he had sponsored, including ones that would help bring more physicians to El Paso and create a financial literacy program, by attaching them to other measures as amendments.

Republicans, he said, were to blame for the partisan meltdown because they made the volatile voter identification issue their top priority for the legislative session.

"Republicans should have clearly foreseen what has happened in the House," he said.

House Republicans also rejected several attempts from Democrats to bring up other priority measures.

The delays could mean a special legislative session, as Gov. Perry has threatened to bring lawmakers back to Austin to shore up the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. The association provides insurance for homeowners on the hurricane-prone Texas coast, and the hurricane season starts June 1.

If Perry calls legislators to reconvene, he will also be able to order them to work on the voter identification measure again.

Dunnam, the Democrats' leader in the House, said that if a special session was called, he hoped voter identification would not be on the agenda.

"People are tired of this attitude that partisanship comes first," he said.

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

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_12458385

Isn't ensuring the integrity of the voting process a part of the people's work? These frickin Democrats will do anything to ensure illegal aliens vote to maintain their positions at the corrupt table of power while brave men and women are fighting and dying to protect that most sacred right.

Originally Posted by retiredairforce

Isn't ensuring the integrity of the voting process a part of the people's work? These frickin Democrats will do anything to ensure illegal aliens vote to maintain their positions at the corrupt table of power while brave men and women are fighting and dying to protect that most sacred right.

It's not just the democrats in this state. We have republicans like Cornyn and Hutchison who say one thing to us, but once they get to the vote, they screw around and get nothing done. At this point the only 3 people I like in Texas politics is Kay Granger, Ron Paul, and Leo Berman. They are straight shooters that might have an (R) next to their name, but they are more independent thinkers.

But the issue is Democrats in the State House killed the measure which has absolutely nothing to do with your US Senators, as I am not enamored by either of them too.

Richard Raymond:
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0558
District Phone: (956) 753-7722

Jim Dunnam
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0508
District Phone: (254) 753-8546

Norma Chavez
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0622
District Phone: (915) 778-9960

Eliot Shapleigh
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0129
District Phone: (915) 544-1990

"We really want to get to the people's work," state Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, leader of the House Democrats, told reporters. "We want to get past this."

The truth is the Democrats don't want to go on record voting against the bill, especially knowing the Texas voters supports it.

I watched some of this going on and the Texas House Democrats thought what they were doing was quite funny. They were just laughing and teasing about this.

I hope the Democrat's bills never see the light of day, Uber Liberal State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, was over in the Senate stalling the voter ID bill, I don't feel sorry for him.

All the Democrats in the Senate voted against the voter ID bill and they wasted a lot of testimony time in that chamber too.

Dixie