It looks like House Republicans are back to square one on the voter ID bill.
The House Elections Committee has scheduled another meeting on the bill this Wednesday, and the version to be rolled out then will likely include a strict photo ID requirement in order to vote.
Last week, Republicans appeared to be backing away from the strict photo ID requirement in favor of a bill that would allow citizens to use their voter registration card or utility or bank statements as proof of identity.
But that’s not the bill that committee members will be discussing on Wednesday, Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, said.
“It will be more like the original bill,” Lewis said.
Lewis said Republicans negotiated in good faith with Democrats over changes in the bill but were unable to gain pledges of support for the bill if changes were made.
He said the bill would also include a provision making it easier for people to apply for absentee ballots by mail.
Other provisions in the original bill, such as term limits for the chairman of the State Board of Elections, making candidates responsible for their campaign committee’s civil liabilities and restricting campaign contributions by state vendors, won’t be in the bill and will be taken up in separate legislation, Lewis said.
This is a bill that should be passed. Everyone has to have a picture ID these days. If you are
legally registered what is the big deal.
[...] in Raleigh are reviving their push for a hard-line bill that would require voters to show a government-issued photo ID each time they [...]
[...] Now, apparently nothing is on the list – no student IDs, no utility bills, no voter registration cards – except for government-issued IDs. The broader range of IDs that was OK last week appears to be no longer acceptable, according to new reports and statements from the bill’s sponsors. [...]