Legislature '07: Legislature to consider voter identification bill

By James Patrick Schmidt

Published Jan. 23, 2007

Missourians could once again face the possibility of taking out their wallets at the polls if a proposed bill to require voters to show photo identification is passed this session.

"We haven't decided for sure, but we are working on it, and I would anticipate there would be something introduced this session," said Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City, who sponsored the bill last year.

Last session, the bill passed both houses of the Missouri General Assembly and was challenged in court after being signed by Gov. Matt Blunt.

The Missouri Supreme Court eventually ruled that the law was unconstitutional because it operated like a poll tax.

"The main issue of the courts was paying for support documents, like a birth certificate, so that is one solution that is a fairly simple solution for a photo ID law," Scott said. "We're looking to see if there needs to be a change in the language of the constitution. That has not been determined yet."

The court ruled against the law because in order to receive a free photo ID from the state an individual must present a document to prove citizenship, all of which cost money to acquire.

The least expensive option was a birth certificate.

Scott said he feels it is important to combat voter fraud and hopes to resolve all questions raised by the court.

"I think the photo ID requirement is a simple solution to voter fraud," he said. "The massive registration fraud this last election in Kansas City and St. Louis by ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) reminds us that there are people who try to steal elections by fraudulent voter registration. Despite attempts to fraudulently register people by the thousands, a photo ID requirement shows that the person who is standing in front of the election official actually is who they say they are."

Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, said he also feels a photo ID bill is necessary and would support it.

Robb also supported the bill in 2006.

Other local politicians, including Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, have doubts about the possibility of creating a photo ID law that doesn't violate the state constitution.

"The senator was opposed to last year's bill because he felt the main goal of it was not to prevent fraud but to keep people away from the polls and as we predicted the bill that passed was unconstitutional," Graham's Chief of Staff Ted Farnen said.

Farnen said Graham thinks discussing the solutions for a new photo ID bill have not solved the issue.

"If you're making people do something extraordinary to be able to vote, that's not a good thing," Farnen said.

Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, said she also has doubts that a revised photo ID bill would not make voting more difficult.

"I believe you'd still have many issues to work out to ensure that there are no barriers to voting," she said.

A photo ID bill simply makes it more difficult to vote, House Minority Leader Rep. Jeff Harris, D-Columbia, said.

"It never ceases to amaze me that in America, where we have the greatest system of government and the greatest democracy on earth, there are still people out there who seem to want to make it harder to vote for hard-working, tax-paying citizens," Harris said. "At the same time people talk about bringing democracy to Iraq, they are trying to limit it here at home."