JEFFERSON CITY — Today (1-27) — as the fourth week of the legislative session commenced — the majority party began committee hearings on this session’s Senate voter photo ID bill, Senate Bill 511.  Senator Nasheed, who staved off efforts to bring voter photo ID bill to the Senate last session, immediately pounced, calling the bill “a regurgitation of bad public policy,” and declared, ”We will, in no shape, form or fashion, lay down on the fight for voter rights.”

“Since 2006, a number of measures requiring citizens to provide a photo ID have been proposed in the General Assembly,” said Sen. Nasheed. “However, in that same year, this requirement was ruled unconstitutional by the Missouri Supreme Court. It seems to me that legislators keep fighting the same fight, despite the 2006 ruling. I believe it is time for those who continue pushing biased bills, designed to keep certain groups from practicing their constitutional right to vote, to review their legislation and the appalling effects photo ID laws can have on both lower-income and senior constituents.”

Bills filed in both chambers, each with similar language, would mandate showing a photo ID to vote in person, and there are identical resolutions in both chambers, as well, that, if passed by Legislature, would place the question on an upcoming ballot for Missourians to decide.

“This topic is not new, nor is my stance against it,” said Sen. Nasheed. “Sponsors and supporters of photo ID legislation say they are trying to prevent voter fraud, when no instances of voter fraud can be proven. There are approximately 240,000 Missourians registered to vote who do not possess a driver’s license. Most of those citizens are on fixed incomes and, as the state of Missouri does not provide photo identification for free, that group is pointedly affected.”

Senator Nasheed continued, “I would like to remind my colleagues that voter identification laws are already in place in the Show-Me State. Expanding those laws would invade state coffers for approximately $6 million per election. There are many other programs that could make much better use of those funds.”

For more information on any Sen. Nasheed’s legislative actions, including her sponsored legislation, please visit her Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/nasheed.