Meanwhile, the photo ID bill advances

[dragonlady]

The Senate Republicans voted preliminary approval of the photo ID bill today. They have amended it to make it so much better: Passports and tribal IDs will also be accepted (not student IDs); IDs won't go into effect until January; and they will educate voters on the change by giving out leaflets to those at the upcoming spring election who don't have ID with them (they'll require that everybody be asked, just to get us in the habit). They are hoping the senators come back within the next couple of weeks so the final vote can be taken (it needs the larger quorum because of the funds to be used for the leaflets). If the bill hasn't been passed, "it will cost the state more because a separate educational outreach beyond the spring elections explaining the law would be needed." In other words, their "education" is going to target the relatively few who show up for the spring election without IDs and ignore everybody else who might vote in 2012. Nice.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116840898.html

[EC]

1. You know I had some thoughts about this today while

I was at the bank. There was a teabagger type woman there today and she had no picture ID, she said she "didn't want to register with the government". So I began to wonder about some of the teabaggers and libertarians and wondered how many of them would have that same attitude? This may work against the repubs more than us. At least Democrats will be out in force to get people their ID's because our people will WANT to get their ID's - where as the tea types hate and mistrust government so much they won't. I think they like being able to vote with just a utility bill and other ID.

I don't know, but I'm not as afraid of this harming us as much as I was.

[dragonlady]

2. The problems with this bill

It takes a birth certificate to get a state ID. Some people (women in particular who never had a driver's license, older men who have let it lapse, or those who lost it for DUI or too many tickets) might have trouble with that. If you don't have a BC on hand, it costs perhaps $20-$30 to order it from your state of birth. How to do that, how to send the money, affording the fee, etc. all add up to a hassle. Every time a person moves, a new photo ID would be required with the current address (much harder on poor people and students who move more often than homeowners). Even if the DMV will give them for free, the hassle of getting there (for people who don't drive especially) would be significant.

[EC]

3. I'll have to look into that,

I thought that was with the Real I.D. this is not that. This just requires a state I.D. or Drivers license. I think to get those all you need is your SSN? Real I.D. was never funded as far as I know.

Oh yeah, and the rest is a problem, the moving and locations of DMV's now. But like I said I think the Dems GOTV will help with that part. I know another way to make us spend contibutors money.


I don't like it and I always thought our state was better than most because of the same day registration etc. We just made it easy to vote, as it should be.

[sybylla]

4. In the state of WI, you need a birth certificate to get a state ID/DL

Same with a passport.

[Homer12]

5. Voter Suppression

It's all about suppression the Urban and college vote. It also ends same day registration and does not allow for and Affidavit like IND.

This Bill will be going to the supreme court and will be struck down, even with the tea baggers on the court because they would get impeached, the civil rights act specifically says that anything that stops a person from voting is against your civil rights.

This is why INDy added the affidavit right before they passed it.

[dragonlady]

6. Another thing: it will cost MILLIONS

Very interesting reading in the fiscal estimate prepared by the GAB. They estimate it will cost them over $2 million to put this bill into effect in the first two years, because of work on the state voter database, training, increased staff, public education, and administration. That's just for the state GAB. The cost to each municipality is undetermined but will be significant, in terms of additional staff, time spent at training, and administering the new requirements. And this report doesn't address anything about keeping the DMV offices open more hours and paying for material to issue free IDs.

http://gab.wi.gov/sites/default/files/publication/65/sb_6_g_a_b_fiscal_estimate_pdf_98697.pdf

[AleksS]

7. The budget

The budget bill wasn't about the budget, and the voter ID bill wasn't about voter fraud.

These guys are constitutionally incapable of telling the truth.