Bill Would Require Votes to Present Photo ID

[dflprincess]

This is from Friday's Strib

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/208414.html

Minnesota should join seven other states in requiring voters to present a photo ID before casting a ballot, two Republican legislators said Thursday.

State Reps. Tom Emmer of Delano and Joe Hoppe of Chaska want election law changed so that voters must prove their identity by bringing a government-issued picture identification card to the polls. If they don't have a driver's license, a passport or another official ID, they would be able to sign an affidavit swearing to their identity. They said the bill isn't in response to any particular cases of voter fraud in Minnesota.

"We're not going to wait until we have a problem," Emmer said.

Hoppe said it's an issue of maintaining public confidence in elections.

But Beth Fraser, public policy director for the Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action, said the proposal would make voting tougher, especially for the homeless or people who no longer drive. "If I lose my wallet, I lose my right to vote," she said.

Sen. John Hottinger, DFL-St. Peter, said the bill could cause longer lines at the polls and discourage voting. "Minnesota has not had a problem with voter fraud," he said. "In fact, we've long been a beacon to the rest of the nation for voter turnout and it just doesn't make sense to make people jump through more hoops when voting."

This is the same Tom Emmer who recently penned this letter to editor:

Illegal immigration

The price we pay

Through a series of editorials, the Star Tribune started its caring, calm talk on immigration by alleging nastiness, scapegoating, political opportunism and divisiveness against those of us who think illegal immigration is an important issue that needs immediate attention.
Then it accused the governor of "intellectual incoherence" when he released his legislative package on immigration. Talk about getting off to a civil start.

On top of being uncivil, I believe the Star Tribune misled Minnesotans by implying that illegal immigrants do not benefit from public welfare programs.

Let's look at the facts from the Department of Human Services: The state of Minnesota paid approximately $17.3 million for illegal immigrants to receive public health care assistance in 2005. The federal government paid another $18 million for a total of $35 million in public health care funds for illegal immigrants in Minnesota alone.

Maybe the editorial writers and defenders of illegal immigration think this is chump change. To most of us, that is a lot of our money that could be spent on people living here legally.

REP. TOM EMMER, R-DELANO

Sure, Tom, like a guy who wants to make it harder for the poor and the elderly to vote is going to support public assistance and medical programs for anyone.

[Deja Q]

1. If MN comes up with a non-expiring form of ID, then it's fine by me.

But that makes too much sense... for one thing, people don't change their appearance between years; we're not Gallifreyans!!! :eyes:

[CatholicEdHead]

2. Illegal Immigration is one of the slated division issues for the fall

The GOP cannot win by uniting, only dividing.

[Berserker]

3. It is a move by the repukes

to stop the poor from voting. Some people don't have photo IDs and it's a ploy by them in every state not just Minnesota. How much can I possibly hate these bastards?

[ISUGRADIA]

4. Emmer also tried to defund the Minnesota AIDS Project

last legislative session.