Two New Mexico legislators are dropping their attempts to require photo identification or a Social Security number to vote.
Republican Reps. Dianne Hamilton and Cathrynn Brown said it would be futile to introduce any voter identification bills because Democrats have strengthened their hold on the state House of Representatives. “We don’t have the votes to pass anything,” said Brown, a second-term lawmaker from Carlsbad. She introduced bills in each of the last two years that would have required government-issued photo identification to vote. Both failed.
Hamilton, of Silver City, sponsored voter identification bills for four consecutive years, only to see each one killed by Democrats.
Last year Democrats controlled the House 36-33-1. Now, after the fall election, their advantage has increased to 38-32 – too large a difference to bother with another bill this year, Hamilton said. “It’s never passed before. It wouldn’t pass this time,” she said in an interview.
Perhaps no issue is more partisan in New Mexico than this one. Republicans lined up behind the Brown and Hamilton bills, saying photo ID is necessary to cash a check so it should be required to make sure elections are honest. In turn, Democrats closed ranks to block the bills. They said identification requirements would rob otherwise qualified electors of their right to vote.
Full Article: Two lawmakers drop voter ID bills – The Deming Headlight.