A unanimous Senate committee on Monday approved legislation to loosen several requirements while creating harsher penalties in the state’s voter ID law. Senate Bill 5 would codify most of the court-ordered changes to the 2011 law after a federal appeals court ruled last year that it discriminated against minority and poor Texans, infringing on the voting rights of about 600,000 registered voters who lacked a government-issued photo ID.
SB 5 would allow registered voters who lack a photo ID to cast a ballot after showing documents that list their name and address — including a voter registration certificate, utility bill, bank statement, government check or work paycheck.
Such voters would have to sign a “declaration of reasonable impediment” stating that they could not acquire a photo ID due to a lack of transportation, lack of a birth certificate, work schedule, disability, illness, family responsibility or lost or stolen ID.
The bill would allow voters 70 and older to use expired photo IDs to vote.
Full Article: Voter ID changes clear Senate committee.
