Anchia promises “long debate” on Voter ID bill
Voter ID bill clears Texas House committee12:28 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 12, 2009
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning Newststutz@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN – A requirement that voters show photo identification narrowly won a House committee's approval Monday, but the chairman of the panel said the measure probably can't pass the full House in its present form.
Four Republicans and one Democrat on the House Elections Committee supported the proposal, while three Democrats and one Republican voted no. It would require a photo ID, or two approved nonphoto IDs, to cast a ballot.
Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, chairman of the committee, decided to move the bill, which passed the Senate, to the full House without any changes after failing in his efforts to find common ground on the volatile issue.
"What will happen on the House floor is anybody's guess," he said, predicting there will be a "lot of changes" when it comes before the chamber.
Republicans are pushing for passage of the voter ID measure, contending it is necessary to prevent election fraud in Texas. Democrats, on the other hand, argue there is no evidence of voter impersonation in the state and say the GOP-led effort is all about suppressing turnout by groups that tend to vote for Democrats.
Most House Republicans have said they favor a tougher bill than the Senate-approved one. Many prefer legislation that would mandate a photo ID to vote with no provision for alternative IDs.
But Smith said the legislation needs a "bipartisan buy-in" to get through the House, which has 76 Republicans and 74 Democrats.
"Unless we develop a more pragmatic approach and a stronger desire to reach a bipartisan compromise, then my guess is that the chances of passing a voter ID bill is something less than 50 percent," he said.
He added there are a large number of members who only want to make a political statement and have no interest in passing a bill.
Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, voted against the bill, promising a "long debate" when it comes before the full House.
"There will be pretty aggressive opposition to this bill," he said. Anchia predicted the fight would kill other, more important legislation because it will consume so much of the House's time with just three weeks left in the session.
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