Divisive Voter ID Proposal Approved by TX Senate
LatinoSpeak.net- Last week’s partisan approval in the Texas Senate on a Voter ID proposal sets the stage for again another volatile yet uncertain debate within the Texas House of Representatives.The bill introduced by Republicans would require a voter to show a photo or alternative form of ID such as a bank statement or utility bill.
Democrats argue that the politically motivated legislation is simply an effort by Republicans to disenfranchise the poor, elderly and minority voters, potentially driving down turnout among those groups.
Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, Democratic Caucus Chairwoman, cited a study noting that about one million of the states 13.5 million registered voters do not have a photo ID and would be impacted by this proposal.
Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, Democratic Caucus Chairwoman, cited a study noting that about one million of the states 13.5 million registered voters do not have a photo ID and would be impacted by this proposal.
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Quote of the Week:"This is a recipe for disaster," Van de Putte told other senators. "It threatens the voting rights of seniors and lower-income Texans." She said the move to pass a voter ID bill "is not about voter fraud. There is no voter fraud. This is about voter suppression." (DallasNews.com)
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Victory on voter ID may cost GOP Latino support
12:17 AM CDT on Monday, March 16, 2009
By CHRISTY HOPPE and TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News choppe@dallasnews.com; tstutz@dallasnews.com
12:17 AM CDT on Monday, March 16, 2009
By CHRISTY HOPPE and TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News choppe@dallasnews.com; tstutz@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN – Republicans may win their fierce battle to require voters to present photo IDs, a vibrant issue to grassroots conservatives. But doing so could help them lose the larger, future war for political dominance.
Many Latinos, who are the fastest-growing bloc of voters in Texas, feel the bill is aimed at them, with Republicans raising the specter of illegal immigrants casting ballots and swinging elections. This bill, coupled with Republican efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, has led experts to see the Texas GOP quickly losing inroads in the Hispanic community that took years to build.
Republican leaders dismiss the notion that promoting a requirement for voters to present a picture or other forms of identification before they vote will damage the party among minorities.
Eric Opiela, executive director of the state party, pointed to a University of Texas poll last year that found 70 percent of Texans favor requiring a photo ID to vote – including 68 percent of blacks and 65 percent of Hispanics.
But it has become a noxious partisan issue, forcing the 19 Republicans in the Senate to change rules to muscle the measure past the 12 Democrats after a marathon all-night hearing. A final vote this week will send the bill to a less certain future in the House where Republicans hold a mere 76-74 advantage.
Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and others believe the GOP talking points on the issue, commonly referred to as "voter ID," have been decidedly anti-Hispanic.
"They would have you believe that busloads of illegal immigrants are coming to a district near you and engaging in voter impersonation in order to vote for Democrats," he said.
Six years of sitting on legislative panels studying voter fraud has taught him that people will tamper with mailed-in ballots. But he said there is virtually no evidence of anyone – illegal immigrants or others – showing up at polling places to vote with someone else's voter registration card.
"The Latino community is not stupid," Anchia said. "You can't call us fat, ugly and stupid for a year and then ask us to go to the prom with you. It's just not going to happen."
Election numbers
The attitude seems to be reflected in election numbers: Latino support in Texas was 49 percent for President George W. Bush in 2004; 44 percent for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in 2006, when she was the top official on the ballot; and 35 percent last year for John McCain.
Democrats say that requiring a photo ID will be particularly hard on the disabled, the elderly and low-income workers without driver's licenses, many of whom are more likely to be racial minorities. Republican supporters of the measure say the issue of securing the integrity of the ballot is important enough to tighten the ID requirements, even if it inconveniences some.
Longtime GOP consultant Royal Masset said it is a "serious mistake" for the party to put so much emphasis on the issue in Texas.
"There's no doubt voter ID does great" among the Republican base, he said. "But it is also the kind of issue that could lose the Latino vote for the Republican Party for the next 30 years."
Masset, the former political director for the state party, called voter ID "another last straw" for Latinos, who would be forced by Republicans to spend time and money obtaining additional IDs because of an alleged threat of fraudulent voting.
"One way to get Latinos upset is to start criminalizing them, to imply they are criminals," he said. "And Hispanics should take this personally, because it is aimed at them."
Jerry Polinard, a political science professor at the University of Texas-Pan American, predicted that if Republicans are able to push through voter ID, it will be just like the immigration issue: "another gift for the Democratic Party."
Polinard, an expert on voting patterns across the state and particularly in South Texas, said that while there is nothing "intrinsically discriminatory" about requiring a photo ID to vote, "it will be about as popular down here as the border fence."
"In the short run, voter ID helps the Republican Party in Texas because it is red meat for the base," he said. "But the clock is ticking.
"With every election, the Latino vote becomes more important, and in the long run this will come back to haunt the party, because it is seen as having a disproportionate effect on minority voters."
Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, used the example of her 94-year-old aunt, who has lived with her family and other relatives over the years. Her aunt does not drive or have utility bills or bank accounts in her own name.
When advocates of voter ID suggest it's easy to show papers or a driver's license to prove who you are at the voting booth, they are ignoring how a lot of close-knit families operate, she said.
"When somebody disses your grandmother, they dis you. And when someone disses what you believe in ... is when Latinos act," she said.
Other states
Michael Bustamante, a spokesman for the William C. Velasquez Institute, which studies Latino voting trends, said what he's seeing in Texas with the voter ID bill is happening in other states as well.
The states pushing the measure have GOP leadership that wants to protect the ballot from illegal voters, which is understandable, he said.
"But it's the tone and the tenor of the argument," which seems to be aimed at the growing numbers of Hispanic voters and wondering if they're legal, Bustamante said.
"It's amazing how hard Republicans are working to create a divide between their party and the Latino voter," he said. "Pretty soon we're going to be blamed for athlete's foot."
But Texas GOP leader Opiela said the only ones hurt by the voter ID bill are the Democrats, who are bucking a popular and commonsense proposal.
The Democratic stance "will come back to haunt them," he said, adding: "We certainly plan to make it an issue in the next election."
So, say the Democrats, do they.
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About the Bills: SB362 is sponsored by Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay. Toughens voter identification requirements by requiring a photo ID or two alternative forms of identification.
Photo identification includes: a driver's license or personal identification card; U.S. military identification; U.S. citizenship certificate that includes a photo; U.S. passport; concealed handgun license issued by the Department of Public Safety; identification issued by a state or federal agency.
Alternative forms of identification: utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that includes the voter's name and address; mail from a government entity; birth certificate or other document confirming birth; U.S. citizenship papers; marriage license or divorce decree; state or federal ID card for obtaining public benefits; temporary Texas driving permit; pilot's license; library card; Texas hunting or fishing license.
Those without the required identification could cast a provisional ballot by declaring in an affidavit that they are eligible registered voters. Companion bill in the House: HB125 by Rep. Betty Brown, R-Terrell. (Star-Telegram.com, 3/11/09)
LatinoSpeak.net will closely follow this legislation and will seek to inform its readers on the status of any bill that impacts the Latino community. We also encourage all readers to make contact with their state representatives by logging on to Texas Legislature Online and inform lawmakers via email, phone, fax, etc. on how you feel about a particular bill or issue.
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