Voter ID amendment moves along in Missouri
On Thursday, the House approved a constitutional amendment that allows a photo ID requirement. Lawmakers then endorsed legislation to implement it. Both measures now move to the state Senate.
Lawmakers have considered enacting a photo ID requirement for voting several times in recent years. Debate generally has split along partisan lines. Republicans now control a veto-proof supermajority in both the House and the Senate.
Supporters of a photo ID requirement say it would help prevent voter fraud and protect legitimate votes. Critics say Missouri has not had recent incidents of voter fraud and the requirement could make it more difficult for some people to cast ballots.
MO House debates photo ID requirement for voting
Proponents say requiring voters to show a government-issued photo ID before casting ballots would help prevent election fraud. Critics argue Missouri has had no known recent instances of voter impersonation. They also say the rule could make it harder for some people to vote.
Lawmakers have discussed the proposal several times in recent years, with the debate generally falling along party lines.
On Wednesday, House members approved a constitutional amendment allowing for a photo ID requirement. Lawmakers then endorsed separate legislation that would implement it. Both measures require another vote before they move to the state Senate.
MO House panel adopts voter photo ID requirement
The House Elections Committee approved a state constitutional amendment that would ask voters whether to allow the photo ID requirement. The committee also approved a separate bill that would implement the photo identification requirement.
The vote was along party lines, with Republicans saying the photo ID requirement would increases transparency and reduce voter fraud. Democrats said there are no reports of voter impersonation and that the plan could disenfranchise voters.
Currently when Missourians vote, they can show a photo ID or other means of identification such as utility bills or bank statements.
Both measures head to the House Rules Committee for further consideration.
Missouri House committee passes voter ID measure
The House Elections Committee approved a state constitutional amendment that would ask voters whether to allow the photo ID requirement. The committee also approved a separate bill that would implement the photo identification requirement.
The vote was along party lines, with Republicans saying the photo ID requirement would increases transparency and reduce voter fraud. Democrats said there are no reports of voter impersonation and that the plan could disenfranchise voters.
Currently when Missourians vote, they can show a photo ID or other means of identification such as utility bills or bank statements.
Both measures head to the House Rules Committee for further consideration.
Latest News
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8

Arrest made in Kirkwood murder case
19-year-old Nicholas Lunceford is in custody connected to the murder a murder in the Village of Marlborough. Police believe that Lunceford shot and killed 18-year-old Brandon Rich...

St. Louis group gets grant to provide job training to i…
ST. LOUIS (AP) - A St. Louis organization is getting a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to provide job training for inmates. Federal officials on Wednesday ann...

Former judge fills vacant St. Clair County position
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) - A one-time appellate court judge is being appointed to fill a vacant St. Clair County court position after the judge who once held the job resigned over...

Advocates say Metro East customers overpaying smartphon…
Customers in the Metro East are overpaying by $300 million dollars a year for their smartphone plans. The study was released by the Citizens Utility Board in cooperation with wirel...

OBAMA: 'LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED' BY NSA PROGRAMS
BERLIN (AP) — Trying to tamp down concerns about government over-reach, President Barack Obama on Wednesday defended U.S. Internet and phone surveillance programs as narrowly targe...

Woman pleads guilty in St. Louis dog neglect case
A St. Louis woman has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor animal abuse charges for starving her two dogs to near death, then tossing one in a trash bin behind her home. The St. Louis Po...

Elevated greenway planned for north St. Louis
St. Louis could be joining the likes of New York and Paris as the only cities in the world with an elevated greenway. The proposed project, discussed last night at a planning meeti...

City & county bomb & arson units to merge; announcement…
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is expected to announce their Bomb and Arson Unit will merge with St. Louis County's Bomb and Arson Squad . The proposed merger is jus...