Delbert’s Photo ID Bill, the Sequel

After the Missouri Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional Sen.
Delbert Scott’s marquee Photo ID to Vote bill from last year, Delbert vowed that he’d be back….and even recently
told the Missourinet he’d be back with a good bill that would melt away
opposition…

Well, folks, the wait is over. The “new and improved” Delbert Scott photo ID
bill is here. Except that it’s not
new. Or improved. In
fact, it’s not a sequel, it’s a re-run.

That’s right. The 2007 Photo ID to Vote bill is the SAME
LANGUAGE as the proposal fervently opposed last year by many legislators, voting
rights experts, disability community advocates, county clerks, newspapers throughout the state...and struck down by two courts. Click here for Pete (2006 – see pages 17-20)
and Repeat (2007).

Why is Delbert filing the same unconstitutional, controversial bill
language that would possibly prevent hundreds of thousands of Missourians –
elderly, disabled, and poor – from voting?

• Perhaps
  it’s in response to the recent post-election report recently issued by the
  Office of Secretary of State that showed that the 2006 elections were
  accurate and fair…without any report of double voting -- the kind
  of fraud a photo ID is meant to prevent.
  (Then - SOS Matt Blunt also reported fraud-free elections after
  2002 and 2004, by the way.)

• Or
  maybe it’s in response to the editorial column in the Kansas City Star earlier this week that called upon Missouri
  legislators to make it easier, not harder, to cast a ballot.

• It
  could be because a recent study by Rutgers and Ohio
  State University
  scholars showed that lower voter turnout is seen in states that require ID.

OK, maybe not.

But he’s got to have some reason, right? Delbert should explain why he’s wasting more
time and taxpayer money on a proposal that is verbatim the failed, flawed,
unnecessary, unconstitutional proposal from last year.