Engler: Fighting Fraud with Voter I.D.

In the Financial and Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee this week, we worked on voter ID legislation that would require anyone voting in the state to show photo identification. This is not the first time the legislation has come up—we passed a similar law in 2006, but a court ruled the measure unconstitutional. However, in a court case in 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled an Indiana law was "amply justified by the valid interest and protecting the integrity and reliability of the election process." Because of this ruling, our efforts to fight voter fraud and institute an identification requirement are renewed.

My legislation addressing voter ID is Senate Joint Resolution 9, a constitutional amendment that would require voters to show valid, government-issued photo identification. The legislation, if approved by voters, would make sure that each ballot cast in this state is an honest one.

Complimenting legislation has been introduced that would ensure that no one who has the legal right to vote is excluded. Exceptions for citizens born before 1941 and for those unable to obtain a photo ID because of a physical or mental disability are included. There are also provisions for those who cannot afford the cost of identification.

We tackled several other big topics in Senate committees this week as well. One is a bill [SB23] that would put the St. Louis Police Department under local control. Since the Civil War, a state-appointed board has controlled the department. This is not the first time a bill has been proposed to change management of the St. Louis Police Department, and as we debate the details of the legislation, I believe there’s more to the story than meets the eye. In committee, those testifying against the bill (including the St. Louis Police Officers Association) brought up concerns over residency requirements, pensions and the corruption in the city. These issues need to be addressed to make sure the control of the police department is in the best hands possible.

A crowd also gathered to testify on changes to the puppy mill act, which was passed by the voters by a narrow margin this past November. There are concerns that the law, as it is currently written, puts unnecessary limits on business owners, and so legislation has been filed to make sure we’re not turning honest breeders into criminals while still protecting the safety of animals in Missouri. (Winston was asked to be an expert witness, but the meeting was during naptime, so he did not testify.)

Click on the photo below to view a larger image.

My intern this year from Missouri State University, Keaton Ashlock, is an impressive photographer, and I wanted to feature some of his shots of the Capitol in my weekly column. Keaton took this one right after a big snow in Jefferson City.