Local lawmakers pushing voter ID law

The voter identification bill has become a priority for local legislators in the final week of this year’s legislative session.

A proposed constitutional amendment requiring photo identification for voting was approved by an elections committee and sent to the Missouri Senate. The proposal, if approved by voters in November, would amend the state constitution to allow laws requiring government-issued identification for voting.

Meanwhile, Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City, whose district includes Sedalia, is pushing to amend another piece of proposed legislation that would adopt the language from a 2006 voter ID law struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court months after it went into effect.

“One of the main concerns Democrats have has to do with a bait-and-switch where we have the legislation go into effect in 2008,” said Scott. “The ballot language (for the November election) would include a few sentences saying that any law passed could not be implemented until August 2010 to take some heartburn off.”

Originally House Bill 2321 would provide people seeking hunting and fishing permits with voter registration applications. But now, Scott is trying to tack on new language.

“We’re using that (HB 2321) as a vehicle to amend the statutory language in the proposal,” Scott said. “Stanley’s (Cox) bill goes directly to the voters. But to change the statute, the governor has to sign the bill.”

For any legislation to take effect, the proposed constitutional amendment would have to be approved by a majority of voters in November. If people vote down House Joint Resolution 48, the amendment to HB 2321 would be rendered ineffectual.

Missouri now requires voters to bring one proof of identification, such as a voter registration card, government-issued picture ID, picture ID from an institution of higher education, a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document that contains the name and address of the voter.

Some Sedalia Democrats oppose the voter identification law because of the burden it would place on the elderly to get a government photo identification.

Betty Hickam is one such person.

After the 2006 voter ID law was passed, Hickam’s sister, Dorothy Lappat, now 92, moved to Independence from Sedalia, where she tried to open a bank account.

“She couldn’t open a bank account there because she had an expired license. She didn’t have a birth certificate, but she did have an expired picture ID,” Hickam said. “I tried for six months to get her one, and they said she had to have someone older than her to verify she was 90.”
Eventually Hickam and her daughter, Jane Kelley, went to Jefferson City and helped Lappat obtain a picture identification card.

“It was really a hassle to get a picture ID. It’s really bad when people try to get something when they’re at that age,” Kelley said. “My Aunt Dorothy had us to help her. But how many people that age have someone to help them? A lot of people that age don’t have birth certificates, and of course, it costs $15 to get one, and that’s money some people don’t have.”

Kevin Walker, a Democrat who is running against Rep. Cox, R-Sedalia, in November, said the proposal is a bad idea.
“In my heart of hearts, I don’t think this needs to be going through. We’ve voted this way for hundreds of years,” Walker said. “Now Stanley Cox and Delbert Scott are trying to amend our constitution, and it scares me when people start talking about amending the constitution.”

Cox said computer technology has changed everything.

“Twenty years ago no one could copy those Aquila bills, but with modern technology it’s a lot easier to falsify utility bills to vote,” Cox said.

But Walker said there are more pressing issues.

“People are worried about buying a gallon of gas and keeping their homes out of forclosure,” he said.