|
There was
a bill before the Texas Legislature both
this session and last that requires a
photo ID or two non-photo IDs in order
to vote. It appears that yet again the
bill has been defeated, not by a
majority of votes, but by tactics that
prevented the measure ever coming up for
a vote. Democrats have long opposed a
Voter ID requirement, claiming it is for
suppression of votes. They say requiring
someone to prove who they are places an
unfair burden on the elderly and
minorities. Republicans are in favor of
Voter ID. They say that several other
states have the law and that it will
prevent fraudulent votes being cast, in
particular by illegal aliens and dead
people. They bring up the infamous
election of 1948 that elevated LBJ to
the U.S. Senate. While it first appeared
that Johnson had lost, several days
later in Precinct 13, exactly 203 people
had voted at the last minute — in the
order they were listed on the tax rolls
— and 202 of them had voted for Johnson.
From then on he was dubbed “Landslide”
Lyndon. It wasn’t until 1977, that the
election judge in the border town of
Alice admitted that he and southern
Texas political boss George Parr had
rigged the election.
It seems
to me that having to show identification
at the polls is no different or more of
an imposition than having to produce an
ID to write a check, rent a movie, or
sometimes when using a credit or debit
card. The Democrats argument doesn’t
hold water when viewed outside the
narrowness of partisan politics. Why
should Republicans want to suppress the
vote? They already hold the majority
statewide. I think Democrat leadership
opposes the bill because they have an
interest in perpetuating multiple voting
and ineligible voting by non-citizens in
certain constituencies around the state,
as well as adding last minute or after
the fact touches to close elections.
Democrats
killed this bill by talking out the
clock. In a tactic called chumming, they
jawed for days on trivial bills
concerning such things as a monarch
butterfly watch program at state parks
to the size of Amarillo's convention
center. While their five-day filibuster
effectively prevented fair voting being
enacted in Texas, they left hundreds of
bills dead in its wake, which may result
in a special session, called by Governor
Perry this summer.
Democrats
in the Texas Legislature are known for
not playing fair or by the rules.
Remember in May of 2003 when 51
Democrats high-tailed it to Ardmore,
Oklahoma to prevent a quorum in the
Texas House and to prevent a vote they
knew they would lose on redistricting
the Legislature. In July of the same
year, 10 Democrat Senators skedaddled to
New Mexico to prevent a quorum and a
Senate vote on redistricting.
House GOP
caucus leader Larry Taylor of
Friendswood said “Democrats would pay a
hefty price for killing off the voter ID
legislation and inflicting “a lot of
other casualties in that process. I
think there’s got to be some
repercussions,” Taylor said. “I think
the average Joe at home isn’t going to
be pleased that an issue like voter ID
knocked off all those other issues
people have been working on.” Among
them, “major insurance reforms, tuition
relief and key health care legislation.
The House also failed to pass a bill to
accept $555 million in unemployment
funds. Gov. Rick Perry had opposed the
legislation on the grounds that too many
strings were attached to the federal
money.”
In an
email last week from former Gainesville
Daily Register reporter Andy Hogue, who
now lives in Austin and writes for the
Lone Star Report, he responded to my
question on the issue, “I agree that if
there wasn't a problem with voter fraud
(as the Democrats contend) then they
wouldn't be fighting so hard to kill
it.” That sums it up succinctly.
Whether the Governor calls a special
session this summer or if this measure
will be included if he does, is anyone’s
guess right now. But as strongly as the
Republicans feel about voter ID, it’s
just a matter of time until it becomes
law, provided they remain in the
majority. As strongly as the Democrats
oppose identifying who is voting; it’s
certain that there’ll be another fight
eventually.
|
