Missouri lawmakers renew push for photo ID for voters
(AP) — Republican Missouri legislative leaders, backed by veto-proof majorities, will try again in 2016 to require voters to show photo identification at the polls, despite numerous failed attempts over the past decade.
Sen. Will Kraus, a Lee's Summit Republican running for secretary of state, pre-filed a proposed constitutional amendment to allow for photo identification and a bill that would require voters to present government-issued photo ID.
Kraus' proposal would allow people to obtain free state photo ID cards if they don't already have a driver's license, military ID or other government-issued identification.
Democrats say the requirement could make it harder for older people, minorities and women to vote, because they might have more difficulty getting the supportive documents such as birth certificates or marriage licenses that are needed for a government photo ID.
[...] Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the legislation, and a trial judge rejected the ballot summary for the proposed constitutional amendment, calling it insufficient.
The U.S. Justice Department challenged photo identification requirements in North Carolina and Texas, and a federal appeals court in August found the 2011 Texas law has a "discriminatory effect" on minorities and violates the Voting Rights Act.
A Wisconsin requirement set to take effect in 2016 survived a legal challenge in December when a federal judge dismissed part of a suit challenging the photo ID requirement.