State Assembly passes Voter ID bill by 60-35 vote

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MADISON - The Wisconsin Assembly voted 60-35 late last night to make people show photo ID’s in order to vote.

The debate ran for six hours, as majority Republicans brushed aside 50 amendments from Democrats. After the vote, a small group of protestors yelled “Shame, Shame” – and one said “Welcome to Wisconsin, Jim Crow!” Police led them out of the gallery. Democrats Tony Staskunas of West Allis and Peggy Krusick of Milwaukee joined all Republicans in voting yes. The measure now goes to the Senate next Tuesday.

Republicans have tried for years to pass the photo ID mandate, saying it would prevent fraud and restore the public’s confidence in elections. But Democrats say there’s very little fraud – and the GOP is only trying to discourage the poor, minorities, elderly, and college students from voting. Stevens Point Democrat Lou Molepske says things will really get messy when the federal Real ID law takes effect next year. Drivers will have to prove they’re legal U.S. residents to get a license – and they’ll get them in the mail instead of at motor vehicle offices. Molepske says it will lead to DMV offices closing, thus making it harder to get ID’s to vote.

One of the failed Democratic amendments would have kept DMV offices open on weekends. Also, the bill requires people to live at their current addresses for 28 days instead of the present 10. It continues early voting, but residents can only vote at clerk’s offices for two weeks before an election instead of a month.

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