The sponsor of legislation that would require Arkansas voters to show photo identification at the polls clashed Thursday with the Republican state House speaker after lawmakers delayed an attempt to override Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe’s veto of the measure. Republican Sen. Bryan King accused House Speaker Davy Carter of unnecessarily delaying the matter after the House pushed back the override attempt to early next week. Carter cited a long schedule of votes the House faced Thursday as it tried to wrap up the week before a three-day weekend for Easter. “We had a busy calendar, we had a long week and I didn’t want to deal with it today,” Carter told reporters. The House had expected to take up the override a day after the Senate voted 21-12 Wednesday to override Beebe’s veto of the bill. It takes a simple majority to override a governor’s veto. Republicans control the House and Senate.
The override attempt’s fate is uncertain in the House, where it passed with 51 votes earlier this month. The only Democrat in that chamber to support the measure, Rep. Walls McCrary, later filed a letter with the House saying he intended to vote against it. Republicans hold 51 of the 100 seats in the House.
Full Article: Ark. House delays override try on voter ID bill – Times Union.