St. Paul has challenged the legality of the constitutional amendment requiring voters to present photo ID at the polls. In a so-called “friend of the court” amicus brief filed to the Minnesota Supreme Court on Monday, June 18, the city questions the accuracy of the language voters will read if the amendment reaches ballots. It also says Gov. Mark Dayton’s veto of the bill in April should force the Republican-led Legislature to rewrite the question and the amendment’s title. “The so-called ‘photo ID’ question is not authorized by law and should not be placed on the ballot,” St. Paul City Attorney Sara Grewing said in a statement. “The Minnesota Supreme Court should order that this bill be sent back to the Legislature for a veto override or further legislative clarification.” The brief, which is for interested groups other than the litigants, is for a lawsuit to keep the proposed amendment off the November ballot. The Supreme Court plans to hear arguments July 17 and expects to rule in time for the ballots to be ready on Nov. 6.
Dayton, in a veto letter on April 9, said he does not have power to prevent this “unwise and unnecessary” amendment from reaching the ballot, but said his veto was because it came to his desk as a bill. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman questioned the amendment’s effect on college students, veterans and seniors. “If this amendment were passed, the ballots of more than 6,200 St. Paul voters would be called into question,” Coleman
Full Article: St. Paul files brief in suit challenging Voter ID amendment, wants measure kept off ballot – TwinCities.com.