Voter ID bill dies

AUSTIN (KXAN) - It has been five long days for anybody watching the Democratic chubbing in the Texas House of Representatives. However, in the end Democrats succeeded in killing a bill that requires voters bring a photo ID or two other forms of identification to the polls.

The strategy was to stall the process. With local bills that usually pass in under a minute, Democrats used every second of the 10 minutes allotted for questions. The strategy ended up killing hundreds of other bills that could have passed in the last week; but, opponents of voter ID said it was worth it to kill what they have dubbed the "voter suppression" bill. 

"The right to vote is worth defending," said Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco.

The bill didn't go down without a fight. The first battle over voter ID this session took place in the Senate, when the Republican majority voted to change their rules and allow the controversial bill to come up for a vote without 2/3rds of the members agreeing.

"The Senate bended the rules to get the bill passed and we're doing what we can to kill it," said Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth.

After the voter ID bill made it out of a contentious hearing in the House Elections committee, it was quickly set on the House calendar for debate. Though the bill would have likely been dramatically altered in order to pass the almost evenly divided House, Democrats wanted to take no chances. Starting on Thursday, they began "chubbing," the House's version of a filibuster.

"Every session there are bills that I don't feel comfortable about," said Chair of the House Republican Caucus Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood. "I don't know if its the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do. But, as a legislator I have to take those issues head on."

Though voter ID may be dead for now, the Governor can decide to call a special session and bring the issue back up for a vote.