Texas House runs out clock on voter-ID bill

[sonias]

Fort Worth Star-Telegram 5/27/09
Texas House runs out clock on voter-ID bill, federal stimulus money for unemployment

AUSTIN — A controversial voter-identification bill perished along with possibly hundreds of other bills this morning in a partisan dispute in the state House of Representatives.

As a critical midnight deadline passed, Republicans also succeeded in blocking legislation to allow the state to accept $555 million in federal stimulus money rejected by Gov. Rick Perry. Democrats brought up the bill about 15 minutes before midnight, but Republicans ran out the clock with an amendment by Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford.

(snip)
'The right to vote’

Rep. Lon Burnam said Republicans made a choice at the beginning of the session when, targeting the voter ID issue, they suspended the rule that requires approval of two-thirds of the Senate for a bill to be put to a vote.

"The only tool Democrats have is this five-day delay, essentially a filibuster," said Burnam, D-Fort Worth. "I won’t kill a person for the right to vote, but I’ll kill hundreds of bills for the right to vote."

You should also listen to Richard Raymond's speech on why this was important to him. Link below:

Chubbing in the House: A Personal Plea
KUT Notes from the Lege
Rep. Richard Raymond (D-Laredo) on the back mic asking the questions. Mr. Raymond came before the House and spoke on what’s called a “"Matter of Personal Privilege."

It was the Republicans who killed the important legislation of the session by putting up the photo ID bill before other legislation. Legislation they didn't want to vote for anyway. They didn't want to vote against unemployment benefits and the Rs got what they wanted - except for photo ID that is.



Sonia

[WolverineDG]

1. You Tube link

:sniff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isDV2xZJYAA

dg

[sonias]

2. This is the Richard Raymond I remember

The Richard Raymond who impressed the hell out of me during the redistricting hearings.

He doesn't take the back mic much like he says, but when he has something to say - he gets it done.

Henry B. would be proud of him!

:loveya: Representative Raymond.

Sonia

[Melissa G]

5. I called Richard's office earlier today and told his staff person to

tell Richard how wonderful he was! I told him stories of our re redistricting days so he might remember who was doing the effusing.


:hi:sonia

:loveya: Representative Raymond.

[sonias]

6. Aw that was sweet of you

I'm sure they appreciated that call.

:hi: Melissa.

Hey how about my tocaya Sonia Sotomayor? Nice move Mr. President! And Raymond tears up when he talks about the nomination too on the YouTube clip.
He had me crying too. :cry:

Sonia

[Melissa G]

21. Virtual 'High Five' for the Sotomayor nomination!

I was praising on Richard for what I imagined he had said based on our re redistricting battles. The real thing from the clip was even better! I'm gonna have to go effuse some more and bake some brownies or something. :toast: :thumbsup:

[derby378]

3. Now we have a chance to turn Texas blue before the next legislative session

If we can do that, we won't have to worry about a Voter ID bill rearing its ugly head in Austin again.

[sonias]

4. I agree 100% with you Derby

We have a big opportunity before us and I hope we take advantage of it.

:hi:

Sonia

[texanwitch]

7. I have seen a poll tax.

This is why I am a precinct judge.

To protect the rights of voters.

[sonias]

8. I thank you for your service

I know it's a hard job.

:applause:


Sonia

[texanwitch]

9. It can be fun to.

I have a good crew working for me.

Harris County Democrats are always looking for new judges.

If not a judge one can be a clerk, also important.

You don't get to the machines to vote until you see a clerk.

The clerks have a really hard job working a big election.

[sonias]

10. In your personal experience working at the polls

Wouldn't the photo ID bill been more of a nightmare to implement too? Additional training to recognize valid ID, and all the forms of photo ID. Plus having to send more people to the provisional ballot route as well.

It's one thing if the voter volunteers to vote with a photo ID, but it's quite another to deny them the right to a regular ballot if all they have is their voter registration card.

Anyway thanks again for the work you do.

Sonia

[texanwitch]

11. You got that right.

I would have hated to tell a voter whose name was in the book that she or he couldn't vote without a photo ID.

I would also guess there would a big blackmarket for fake picture IDs.

I hate the provisional ballot, it is more to make the voter feel better.

Sometimes they are counted.

That is why it is better to vote early.

If you have any problems the supervisor at early voting can call downtown and try to get it fixed.

Now if you wait until Election Day, maybe not.

I also work early voting.

I have seen people come in with many problems.

You can vote with many forms of ID here in Texas.


The voter ID is just another poll tax.

In the old days the poll tax cost somethng like $1.25, that was a lot of money back then.

You had to pay $1.25 to vote.

[sonias]

12. Provisional ballot count rates in Texas are horrendous

That much I do know. ACLU looked into that issue. While the rest of the country counts about 80% of them, only rejecting 20%. Texas is the complete opposite - we only count about 20% and reject 80% of them.

Last year 2008 over 42,000 provisional ballots were cast in Texas and only about 10,000 of them counted. 32,000 people had their votes thrown away.

I agree with you about the early voting part. Make sure you find out if you are going to be one of those people who were purged wrongly while you still have time to try to correct the situation.


Sonia

[texanwitch]

13. Early voting is your friend.

It is easier for us to vote you because we have the computers and and can find you faster.

I should write a book about working early voting during the last primary.

There were only 7 of us and we handled over 25,000 voters.

That was before the scanners we have now, along with the pain of dealing with people who don't know what primary is.

We were zombies when the 2 weeks were over.

Working long hours with about 4 hours of sleep at night.

I don't know how we made it.

I set at that computer most of the day.

Now matter how fast we worked, and we worked fast the line kept getting longer.

Of dealing with the the Republicans who were crossing over to vote for just one person really made our day.

It took me a week to recover, and of couse we still had election day to deal with.

[derby378]

14. You and me both

crispini's an election judge, too. Hope there's a few more lurking around here.

[texanwitch]

16. Me too.

We do get paid.

I get a decent little check.

I wish more people would work the elections.

There is a lot more to the elections the just election day.


The work that goes on before and after the election is really something.


It is also fun, we have a good time on election day.

[TerryRay]

15. I dont see the problem

I guess I am in the minority but I have no problem with photo id laws. Our society is based on having valid photo ids( drive a car, cash checks, buy liquior, get into bars and so on. Why not help curb voter fraud with making people prove who they are?

[texanwitch]

17. I don't think we have a large amount of voter fraud.

Most people have some form of photo id anyway.

The right to vote is more important.

If this Photo Id law did pass, there would always be fake ID's.

If we have to stop and figure out if a ID is real or not the line will get even longer.

Election day is hard enough.

[TerryRay]

18. again not seeing the big deal

so if everyone already for the most part has an ID why is it a bad thing to have a photo id law? I am sorry but because it might take longer is not a valid reason for me. I would rather be sure and slow than even allow the chance for voter fraud. Yes there are fake ids, but most state Ids have telling ways to tell if they are fake or not, it is not like IMO it would take that much training to be able to spot a fake

[texanwitch]

19. We could check it at early voting with the scanner.

Not on election day.

I have seen some pretty good fake state ID's.

This law is about stopping poor people from voting, just like the old poll tax.

Republicans are like that, they are just mean.

This law would make my job a lot harder, it would make me cop.

What if I can't tell the difference, I as head judge would have the make the decision.

What if I was wrong.

At a busy election I don't have the time to figure out if every a ID is real.

[sonias]

20. What voter fraud?

First of all welcome to DU TerryRay. :hi:

And then I will ask you to prove to me how this bill would reduce voter fraud? If you know anything about this bill, you know it is intended to cure only one very narrow case of fraud - called voter impersonation fraud at the polls. And to date the prosecution rates of that kind of fraud are zero, zip, zilch, nada. And contrast that with the potential to disenfranchise about 150,000 legitimate voters in Texas who just happen to vote Democratic who don't have government issued ID.

So yes you are in the minority in supporting a photo ID to vote on this board. Voting is a right not a privileged like a banking account or buying liquor or any of the other things you mentioned.

Sonia

[Melissa G]

22. Well, the problem is it is not Voter ID, but Voter Suppression.

There is ZIP evidence of Voter Fraud, despite an ocean of money given to AG Greg Abbott to try and manufacture some. So since that nasty tactic did not work, the GOP wants to create more hassle and financial hardship for voters in order to suppress turnout. Less votes favors the GOP. I repeat, VOTER FRAUD is a GOP created mirage to hang voter suppression tactics on. THAT is the problem.

Oh yeah, welcome to DU.