House committee takes up voter ID bill

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A controversial voter ID bill is up for consideration Tuesday by the House Select Committee on Voter Identification and Voter Fraud. The Republican-backed legislation would require Texans to present a photo ID before voting.

House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, created this new committee after Gov. Rick Perry designated the issue an emergency at the beginning of the session. That designation would allow the bill to move quickly in the first 60 days of the session through the process to becoming law.

The Texas Senate 19-11 approved the bill now before House members after around 40 amendments were offered among six hours of debate.

"We're going to make sure anyone voting in the state of Texas when they show up at the polls they're going to have to be able to show who they are with a photo ID," said Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, the bill's sponsor.

While senators rejected a string of amendments to allow additional forms of photo ID, they approved giving Texans the ability to use concealed-handgun licenses to vote. The amendment passed 30-0, adding handgun licenses to the list of acceptable items: driver's license, passport, and military ID.

"What we tried to do today by amendment is make a situation we knew was going to happen by amendment to ease that burden just slightly," said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, on the eve of the Senate’s approval.. "We fell short on many measures but there's still the process to go in the House."

Though they were able to defeat similar bills in past sessions, Democrats acknowledged the inevitable passage of the bill this session. An overwhelming GOP majority gives the bill a much better chance.

Republicans maintained the bill would prevent voter fraud at the polls, but Democrats said it would only keep certain voters away from the polls. Such voting groups brought up were the elderly, the poor, minorities, and the disabled.

Perry has said one of the reasons for fast-tracking the bill is because it never made it to a vote in the House last session. In 2009, House Democrats stalled with numerous, lengthy questions in order to kill the bill.

"I am pleased that state lawmakers are quickly addressing this issue, which is important to Texans and critical to ensuring our state has proper protections against voter fraud, and I fully expect the House will soon follow suit and pass this important measure," Perry said previously.

Rep. Tan Parker, Chair of the Caucus External Communications Committee, said, “These issues are important to Texans and thanks to a stronger Republican majority in the Legislature, we will be able to take decisive action on these and other significant issues.”

Democrats question the constitutionality of the Voter ID bill, saying it might violate the federal Voting Rights Act. However, Fraser said he modeled the legislation after an Indiana law, which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld.

"Sadly, as structured, SB 14 is poised to become the most stringent photo voter ID measure in the country," said Van de Putte. "Without the amendments that my colleagues and I proposed to alleviate voter suppression, I do not believe SB 14 can comply with the provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act."

Fraser also said implementation and education for voters would cost $2 million, though he suggested most or all of that could come from federal funding. Democrats have been critical of the cost, saying that cost or available funding is not a sure thing yet and that future court costs might outweigh the benefits.

They also questioned the reasoning behind the bill and any evidence of voter fraud. To consider a bill just two weeks into the session was a highly unusual move. Democrats suggested it should not have taken priority during a state budget crisis with a projected shortfall as high as $27 billion.
Republicans said the integrity of the ballot box is one of the most important issues facing all Texans.

"We all agree that ensuring the integrity of the vote is extremely important," said Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston. "Because that right is extremely important, we need to be careful moving forward so that we don’t create unnecessary barriers to a sacred, constitutional right."

The Texas Democratic Party said the legislation unfairly targets Hispanic voters, because it could suppress minorities’ votes.

“While education cuts could cost 189 thousand Texans their jobs, Republicans have invented a non-existent voter fraud problem to pass a purely political bill that threatens the voting rights of Texas Hispanics,” said Anthony Gutierrez, the TDP deputy executive director.

The TDP has been critical of two Hispanic Republicans sitting on the committee – Reps. Aaron Peña and Jose Aliseda, wondering what their decisions will be. The bill cannot pass out of committee without one of their votes, according to the TDP.

Rep. Patricia Harless, R-Spring, is the bill’s sponsor in the House. After Tuesday’s hearing on voter ID, the House