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04.28.2008 8:13 pm

Point/Counterpoint with Carnahan/Scott on Mo’s defunct photo ID law

Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of Indiana’s mandate requiring voters to produce a government-issued photo ID produced a lot of reaction in Missouri.

Some of the best analysis of the impact in Missouri, from both sides, came from Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, a critic of the photo ID requirement, and from state Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City, one of the original sponsors of the photo-ID law that the Missouri Supreme Court struck down in 2006.

Because the state high court ruled that Missouri’s requirement violated the state’s constitution, the decision wasn’t affected by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

At issue now: will photo-ID supporters seek to resurrect Missouri’s law? Doing so will require a statewide vote.

Here’s the assessments of Carnahan and Scott, both from interviews with my colleague — reporter Adam Jadhav — who worked with me on a story for Tuesday’s Post-Dispatch.

First, Scott:

“I think the (U.S. Supreme Court) ruling itself shows that Missouri’s attempt to provide fair elections was right on target and did not disenfranchise people,” he said.

“This allows us to feel sure in going back to address the Missouri state Supreme Court’s ruling.”

“The encouraging part is that it the U.S. Supreme Court is saying that a photo id requirement does not disenfranchise people and that it is a reasonable way to provide some validity and security in elections,” Scott continued.

“When you provide a free photo id, which is no more of a burden than you have to have to get on a plane or go to the store and rent a video, it’s just not something that is a hurdle for voters.”

Still, Scott acknowledged that it was unlikely that a new Missouri version could be in place by the November presidential election.

“It would be very difficult in the three weeks remaining to get something — that the Democrats will make very controversial — passed through the legislature.”

“And even if it’s passed and signed and then approved by voters in August, the Democrats will challenge this thing. That’s without question…”

Now, Carnahan:

“(The SCOTUS decision) doesn’t change the fact that the Missouri Supreme Court found a voter ID law unduly burdensome based on our own state constitution,” she said.

“If folks wanted to change Missouri’s constitution, they didn’t need to wait for the United State’s Supreme Court to tell them they could. So I think this ruling doesn’t really change anything.”

“My reading of the court’s opinion is that justices didn’t think there was sufficient evidence of burden and sufficient evidence of voters that would be harmed in the Indiana case.”

Carnahan noted in a statement sent Monday that, based on her office’s data, as many as 240,000 Missouri registered voters might have been prevented from voting because they lacked a drivers license — the most common form of government-issued photo ID.

She also had filed a legal brief with the U.S. Supreme Court laying out her office’s concerns. “One of the things that we did in our amicus brief was try to tell the story of regular people who would be hurt by this kind of law,” Carnahan said.

“Look, I’m in favor of reasonable laws. I’m in favor of people having to identify themselves, but we already do that here in Missouri.”

She also observed: “If the Legislature and the governor decide they want to take that action to pursue a constitutional amendment, that’s what they can do. I don’t think they’ll choose to do that.”


				
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15 comments

Comments are closed.

Ooooo… the name calling. That hurts.

Well you on the left have had a very bad week and it’s only Tuesday night. First this… by 6-3 the SCOTUS has outlawed voter fraud and then today The Saviour of the left fell off the mountain.

Hard times = bad moods.

Yet for all the screaming, the name calling, the false outrage, no one not one of you have denied that this law… when it finally comes, will end the Democrats chances at statewide office.

This is fact, and it goes unchallenged. Scream your rage, call your silly little names… with this fact I am content

— tsquare
8:00 pm April 29th, 2008

None of us can know, including you, whether this will come to pass, and the Supremes did not outlaw voter fraud, you [insert appropriate name here]. They said there wasn’t anything blatantly violative of the US Constitution. As Robin Carnahan pointed out, this does not foreclose the possibility that it is against the Missouri Constitution, but then again you righties love to open that document up and massage it to suit you every political whim. It ain’t over, but even it it were, I doubt it would keep democrats out of statewide office. Keep dreaming.

— Penelope
8:14 pm April 29th, 2008

What is the great fear with requiring an ID for anything. People who don’t have an id should show some reasonable rationale why they don’t. For seasoned people in St. Louis, there are more than a few examples of people and organizations attempting to manipulate the voting system. If people put as much energy toward helping those socalled underprivelged to get ID’s, maybe we could help prevent ID theft, check stealing and more.

This is the 21st century, maybe event technology can help. Why can’t the election system be modernized just like the banking system so that you can vote anywhere with the appropriate information, ID/bank cards, passwords etc. That way we will know that the people who want to vote are really that person and live where they say they are voting from. In the end, those that want to cheat will find a way.

— stlvoice
9:31 pm April 29th, 2008

Elections are held every year for various purposes. There are 8760 hours in a year. Are you folks really telling me that there are people too stupid to figure out how to obtain an ID card within almost 9000 hours?

In order to transact any bank business these days, one needs a photo ID. Even the dirt poor and the elderly have to have a way to cash those gubberment checks. Hell, I would bet the payday loan and liquor stores that cash checks require an ID, so that argument is out the window.

Please, Please tell me how one survives in this day and age WITHOUT a photo ID.

— Amazedbythelunacy
9:22 am April 30th, 2008

Here’s an idea, Make photo ID mandatory for welfare benefits and then the argument about disenfranchising the poor becomes nonexistent. You can bet your rear that they will find out how to obtain that photo ID.

Darren, you may not buy it but here goes…..

Every Dem that is running statewide hopes to hold up a good front in outstate because they know they will kick some butt in St. Louis and Kansas City. St. Louis and Kansas City have some of the worst schools in the state. Hence, the dems are relying on the uneducated masses to propel them to victory. Why else would dems want folks too dumb to figure out a way to get a FREE ID have free reign when it comes to voting?

The large majority of big cities in our country have the same terrible school system and amazingly enough they have democrats leading those big cities.

— Amazedbythelunacy
9:29 am April 30th, 2008

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