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By Michael Sluss
RICHMOND
Legislation that would tighten Virginia's voter identification requirements passed a divided state Senate on Monday, despite protests from Democrats who derided the bill as an attempt to suppress the votes of minorities and other groups.
Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the legislation, SB1, providing another measure of the muscle Republicans have flexed since taking working control of the evenly divided Senate last month. Similar bills were killed in a Senate committee the last four years, when Democrats held a majority in the chamber.
"This bill will help ensure the integrity of the ballot box, and it will do so in a reasonable and responsible manner," said Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, chairman of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee. "Under this bill, legitimate votes won't be diluted by voter fraud."
The legislation, coming in a presidential election year, has stirred heated debate on and beyond Capitol Square. Black political and civic leaders have likened the measure to poll taxes, literacy tests and other voter suppression tactics that Virginia employed during the Jim Crow era. Democrats argued that the bill also could affect the voting rights of seniors and other voters who may be less likely to have a form of identification called for in the bill.
"This bill rolls the clock back for Virginia about 50 years," said Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke. "It certainly solves no problem whatsoever. It creates a hardship and it suppresses the right to vote."
The Republican-dominated House of Delegates passed a similar bill last week. Gov. Bob McDonnell has not taken a position on the legislation. If he signs it, the measure still would be subject to approval by the U.S. Department of Justice under the federal Voting Rights Act. The Justice Department in December blocked a South Carolina law requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls, saying it discriminated against minority voters.
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YEA
No more ACORN votes or Rin Tin Tin dog voting!
Really..
"it suppresses the right to vote"? Well if you're here illegally, not a VA or US citizen or a convicted felon you shouldn't be voting in the first place. I'd gladly show some ID to prove who I am and are eligible to vote.There's no shame in being able to take part in the process. I'm all for it. If you're not a responsible, good decision making person you shouldn't vote.
Vote suppression
Odd that the political party (Democrat) that started the Civil War by seceding to protect slavery, disenfranchised blacks during Reconstruction, and then fought tooth and nail to keep blacks from voting into the 1960s, tries to link their own past efforts to the reasonable requirement that a voter prove their identity. Suppression? No, poll taxes, literacy tests and physical intimidation...all Democrat techniques...are suppression. No, after losing the battle to keep minorities from voting, the Democrat Party shifted its business model to something else it excels in...stealing elections by voter fraud. Hey...what's that bag of votes doing over there in the corner? What a surprise! More votes cast in a precinct then registered voters? No problem. Anyt
Dems have no monopoly on voter fraud
All of these are republicans and have been in the headlines the last few days.
-Election fraud trial of Ehrlich consultant Henson set for Monday
-Indiana sec. of state convicted of voter fraud
-Long lines, complaints of election fraud plague special Las Vegas caucus for religious voters
-Former Marlborough council candidate indicted for voter fraud
-Nordstrom Must Vacate Seat, Court Says
-Appeals court orders Morris County Freeholder Margaret Nordstrom removed from office
Do democrats committ voter fraud. Yes! Do they have a monopoly on it. No! At least be fair. Get off the hate express (please).
The Dixiecrats of the South
up to the Civil Rights era in the mid-sixties all defected to the Republican party.
The "Southern Strategy" was started by Nixon and went after the working class Southerner after Civil Right and anti-segregation laws went into effect.
Those whites felt disenfranchised when the Jim Crow laws were overturned.
Even Johnson said that the Democrats would lose the South for decades because of the Civil Rights legislation in 1965.
Now, about those Southern Republicans…
How do you know what was really passed?
On this page:
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+sum+SB1
The summary clearly states that the registration card was REMOVED from the apporved list. Yet, follow the link, on that page, to the bill itself and the very FIRST approved form of ID mentioned is the voter registration card.
So as a minority I better
So as a minority I better bring Voter Registration Card, Social Security, Driver's license, Passport, Filing cabinet with all of my utility bills and hope the person checking ID's accepts one of them.
What in the world does being a minority
have to do with this? Please explain.
Or you could just read the
Or you could just read the bill. It is obvious you have access as you are online and are able to read and write.
Pay up
Congrats my fellow Virginians, this Republican sponsored legislation will only serve to costs more in taxpayer dollars when the Feds get to review it and the lawsuits are filed in Federal Court challenging its merits. I wonder if the Atty General will have the proof of rampant voter fraud in Virginia that would justify State Action such as this because the elected officials who promoted this legislation have failed to demonstrate a need in Virginia for such legislation. I am sure our State's proud history of various types of discrimination at the polls,e.g., poll taxes,literacy test, will aid the Feds and those challenging this legislation in Federal Court. Sadly, Virginia has no money for infrastructure, but plenty money for law suits.