Voter ID bill delayed in the Senate

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Though the state Senate was expected to take up the controversial Voter ID bill on Monday, the vote was delayed until Tuesday for the first reading, while the second reading is scheduled for Wednesday. Last week the Senate Committee of The Whole passed the bill by a vote of 19-to-12. That vote was right down party lines, with Republicans winning the first round.

The Senate was expected to vote on the bill and pass it before sending to the House. There, a committee will hear testimony before deciding whether to allow the full House to vote on it.

The bill would require anyone wanting to cast a ballot to show a photo identification. Republicans said it is necessary to curb voter fraud, while Democrats said it will discriminate against minorities and low-income voters.

In the past few sessions, the Senate has been the chamber that has stopped the bill after it passed the House. However, this time Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst allowed Republican senators to change a long-standing rule requiring two-thirds support of any bill for it to pass. The rule-change went into effect only for Voter ID, and the move allowed the bill to easily get a floor vote.

According to the State Attorney General Office's, there have been 30 cases of voter fraud prosecuted in Texas since 2005, and eight are pending and 58 have been referred from the November election.

Critics said a Voter ID bill would not protect Texans from the types of fraud that have been reported and that no cases of "voter impersonation," which would be covered by a Voter ID bill, have been prosecuted.