A bill that would require voters to show ID is likely dead
Officials say a Missouri bill which would both allow early voting and require voters to show photo ID at the polls is likely dead for the year.
A senate committee chose not to bring the measure up for a vote in a meeting Wednesday night, saying it had opposition from both sides of the aisle. The legislative session ends Friday at 6 p.m., after which the bill would be dismissed.
"I think that the bill was going to be filibustered quite heavily by opponents from both sides, and there was no consensus on it, so we just didn’t move forward with it," State Senator Chuck Purgason told St. Louis Public Radio.
Democrats said the bill would discriminate against poor or elderly residents who didn’t have a state ID card or driver’s license, while many Republicans opposed the early voting provisions in the bill.
Missouri was one of several states, including South Carolina and Wisconsin, where lawmakers were debating voter ID measures.
Feelings about the issue of identification have also been stirred during recent debate over Arizona’s controversial ID and immigration policy. The new law makes it a crime for immigrants not to carry identification, and requires police to detain those they suspect are in the country illegally.
Related ID News:
