80th Legislature: The Voter ID Battle Comes Back To Texas

Ohio…Georgia…and now, Texas.

The battle over Voter ID is coming back to Texas, in a big way.

During the 79th, Rep. Mary Denny introduced HB 1706, a voter ID bill which was dilluted before it passed the house and mercifully died in the Senate State Affairs Committee.

Like a zombie, Denny’s bill lives again, this time filed by the partisan Betty Brown (R-Terrell), who co-authored the measure in the 79th. It’s HB 218.

The bill would require every voter to show one of the following in addition to their voter registration certificate:

*  driver’s license or personal identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) that has not expired or expired within two years of the date of presentation;
* U.S. military identification card containing the person’s photograph;
* valid employee identification card containing the person’s photograph;
* U.S. citizenship certificate that contains the person’s photograph;
* U.S. passport issued to the person;
* student identification card issued by a public or private institution of higher education located in Texas that contains the person’s photograph; or
* license to carry a concealed handgun issued by DPS.

And, if they can’t, they must show two pieces of ID from the following list:

*  copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter;
* official mail addressed to the person by name from a governmental entity;
* certified copy of a birth certificate or other acceptable document confirming birth;
* U.S. citizenship papers;
* original or certified copy of a person’s marriage license or divorce decree;
* court records of a person’s adoption or name or sex change;
* identification card issued by a governmental entity for the purpose of obtaining public benefits, including veteran’s benefits, Medicaid, or Medicare;
* temporary driving permit issued to the person by DPS;
* pilot’s license issued to the person by an authorized federal agency;
* library card, containing the person’s name, issued by a public library located in this state; or
* hunting or fishing license issued to the person by the Parks and Wildlife Department.

As is the case in every state where Voter ID has reared its ugly head, the fact is that this bill is a tool by which the poor and minorities are easily disenfranchised. Voting should not be difficult, and there is no evidence that there is any need for a voter ID measure in the state of Texas.

This is something that groups like MAALDEF, the ACLU, the NAACP and others should quickly get out in front of and put a stop to.

Voting is a right, and unnecessary disenfranchisement is an unacceptable hinderance toward the exercise of that right.