Voter ID Bill No Lock To Pass

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A bill pushed by Attorney General Troy
King to require Alabama voters to show photo identification at the
polls has modest support but enough foes to make it difficult to
pass, according to an Associated Press survey of legislators.
The survey found 45 percent of House members who responded and
47 percent of senators saying they support legislation requiring
voters to show government-issued identification.
But 38 percent of House members responding and 37 percent of
senators said they oppose the measure, a degree of opposition that
could make it difficult for the bill to come up for a vote or to
stop debate in the House or Senate.
Supporters believe this is the right time to push the
legislation because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that
upheld an Indiana law photo ID law.
A black lawmaker, state Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, said he
believes a purpose of the legislation is to discourage blacks from
going to the polls.
He said members of the black caucus would use "every
parliamentary trick possible" to keep the bill from coming up for
a vote.
The 2009 legislative session begins Feb. 3.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)