JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – After the General Assembly passed photo voter ID Thursday evening, secretary of state candidate Jay Ashcroft claimed credit, but now his opponent in the primary, Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, is pushing back.

When the legislation passed, Ashcroft said his initiative petition to put the amendment on the ballot inspired the resolution’s passage this year. Kraus says Ashcroft failed.

“Jay made a lot of promises to people and then failed to turn in a single petition,” he said.  “He failed to turn in the signatures and he failed to come to the capitol and testify in favor of the legislation. The entire process makes you wonder if it was just a political stunt to collect contact information for potential supporters. Whatever the case may be, those voters that signed the petition failed to have their voice heard.”
Kraus sponsored the photo voter ID that passed the legislature this session. Ashcroft had said he would collect 300,000 signatures for his IP, but no signatures for that petition were turned into the secretary of state’s office by Sunday’s deadline.
“I was disappointed Jay failed to get involved in the state capitol and testify in support of the proposals in the house or senate,” Kraus said. “He failed to do anything to help the cause in the General Assembly, but somehow took full credit once it was passed. This is the type of political failure and double-speak that turns off voters.”