By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
"This clearly is something that is too onerous on voters and really smacks of the poll tax of old," said Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) of Rep. Mary Denny's (R-Aubrey) HB 1706. He said the bill, relating to requiring a voter to present proof of identification, is another means of putting up as many barriers as possible to prevent people from voting. "This is a step backward, not forward."
Coleman was joined by several members of the Legislative Black Caucus at a press conference to voice opposition to the bill.
In addition to Denny, four other Republicans have signed on as joint authors of the legislation - Reps. Jim Pitts of Waxahachie, Beverly Woolley of Houston, Joe Nixon of Houston and Dwayne Bohac of Houston.
Calling voting a "fundamental piece of our democracy," Coleman said the legislation begs the question of "whether or not voters are intimidated at the polls or having their vote suppressed at poll."
The bill requires voters to present a photo ID or two forms of non-photo identification (such as gas, electric or phone bills, concealed handgun permits, pilot's license, etc.) in order to vote. Those who go to the polls and have their voter registration card but no photo ID would have to come back within five days to show proper identification or their vote won't count. "If you come in without them, your vote becomes provisional ballot," said Coleman. "If you have to show up twice to have your vote count, something is wrong with that." The Houston Democrat said that is "not democracy," and that the legislature should be focused on improving access to voting, not limiting access to the ballot.
Saying he used to brag about how Texas made it easy for its citizens to vote with a wide early voting period and mail-in balloting, Rep. Mark Veasey (R-Forth Worth) said if HB 1706 passes, "Texas will become one of the most restrictive places in the nation to vote." The Fort Worth lawmaker said there is no evident of any widespread voter fraud in Texas that would call for this kind of legislation, adding, "No one can really understand why we need this bill."
Veasey said the bill would affect 6-10 percent of the Unites States' population and that that percentage will have an adverse effect on his own House district. He said the bill is aimed "directly at the poor and minorities" and those who are least likely to have a photo ID.
Rep. Yvonne Davis (D-Dallas) said the goal of the legislation is to "intimidate voters so they will not participate instead of encourage participation" in the voting process. "We're going to keep them from going to the polls by saying you must have this, you must have that." Davis said passage of the bill will "suppress voter participation" at a time when the state and the nation should be trying to encourage voter participation.
"This is a time when we need maximum participation and the people's voices ought to be heard," she said. "To create these kinds of barriers to intimidate voters...is unacceptable in this day and time." Saying the bill is not the "appropriate thing to encourage participation," Davis said legislators should instead "be about how do we make voting easy?" She said when barriers are thrown up, voter participation is limited and it means "we are no longer representative government."
"This is a package of bills and legislation to suppress voter participation," said Davis, "and we ought to be about opposing that at all costs." Not only is HB 1706 not needed, she said, "It's offensive."
"I remember paying the poll tax," said Rep. Alma Allen (D-Houston). "It was abolished by the Constitution of the United States but that has not been ratified in the state of Texas." Noting that some photo ID cards cost from $15-$30, Allen concluded, "That's a poll tax multiplied by 30, or 10 or 20," with the same "negative impact."
Coleman said in the past voters needed only to have their voter registration card to vote. He said if this bill passes, those who vote and do not have a photo ID will see their ballots go into the provision ballot box. Then if that voter does not go to the central county election official within five days of the election to prove their identity, their ballot does not count. He said that "steers people into voting provisional balloting."
The bill is expected to be up for debate on the House floor today, Monday.