JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – While House Democrats used nearly an hour-and-a-half to debate photo voter ID for the second day in a row, Republicans passed Rep. Justin Alferman’s, HB 1631, bill on the subject, 114-39 Thursday.
For the most part, the Dems came up with the same line of attacks they had used in yesterday’s discussion over HJR 53, Rep. Tony Dugger’s measure, which would amend the Missouri constitution to add photo voter identification as a parameter for voting. Democrats argued the bill could disenfranchise possible voters, that the kind of voter fraud this bill would fight has not happened in the state since 1938, and that such measures were unconstitutional.
Alferman disagreed with the idea that the bill is unconstitutional. He cited a key difference between his measure, and one that was struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court in 2006, namely that his bill provided funding from the state for identifications for citizens who do not have them, as well as access to documents needed to get licenses.
The Supreme Court found that the need for citizens to procure their own IDs to practice a fundamental right put an undue burden on those citizens.
“If you don’t have a license issued by the state of Missouri, the state of Missouri will issue one for you,” Alferman said.
Rep. Mike Colona, D-St. Louis, disagreed that his change would make much of a difference because even if the state provided IDs, which he considers a privilege, it would still act as a
“If that constitutionally protected right [to vote] comes in conflict with a privilege, it’s the constitutional right that takes precedence,” he said.
Colona also questioned the appropriation of funds to provide such IDs. Alferman’s fiscal note indicated that nearly $11 million would go towards the proposal in the first year, mostly an informational campaign about the new law. That number would shrink to just $1.9 million in year three of the law’s implementation.
Alferman also has a provision in the bill which indicates that if money is not appropriated to provide IDs, then photo voter ID will not be enforced.
In the end, Alferman said he and proponents were simply hoping to keep elections honest.
“As I have stated before, elections are the purest form of participation in the process in the state of Missouri,” Alferman said. “We need to hold them to the highest standards, and that’s what this bill does.”
The legislation will now move on to the Senate.
