From ALIPAC:
The Passage of the Border Security Bill and Proof of Citizenship to Register To Vote Bill Depends on YOU!
The Border Secuirty Bill/HB 13 and Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote > Bill/HB 626 are on the Texas House floor Monday, April 30! It's time for you to take action, and make your voice heard by calling your Representative and letting them know you want them to support the passage and vote yes on the Border Security Bill and Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote Bill!
Here's the Odessa American editorial on it Monday, April 30, 2007:
Voter Assault
An insidious scheme to turn back the clock on voting rights in Texas tragically has once again appeared. The architects of this idea, pitched as a noble effort to prevent voter fraud, cannot be allowed to succee with what is surely one of the greatest assaults on the right to vote in this state since passage of the federal Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Two bills have been proposed: House Bill 218, which would require a photo ID along with a voter registration card to cast a ballot, and HB 626, which would require a certified copy of a birth certificate, passport or naturalization certificate to register to vote.
Opponents note that such requirements put unue hardships particularly on ethnic minorities, the elderly and the poor. They also say that these bills were introuced because these citizens are also believed to tren toward voting Democratic.
Recent published reports have indicated that there was an organize effort, allegedly hatched in the White House, to suppress boter turnout during the 2006 election by getting state legislatures to pass more stringent voter identification laws an by conjuring up allegations of wiespread voter fraud in some battleground counties and states.
A photo ID bill passed the House during the last legislative session but was defeated in the Senate.
Considering the cost of certified copies of documents, these bills are, in effect, proposing a new poll tax. A certifie copoy of a birth certificate costs $23; a passport is $85; a naturalization certificate is $200.
State Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Ft Worth, who is fighting the legislation, emphasizes that the bills reporsent a "reversal of the progress Texas has mae since the days of poll taxes an segregation."
No logical person woul oppose fighting voter frau, but there are plenty of laws and procedures already in place to combat such illegalities.
Lawmakers should trust our justice system to eal with any balloting irregularities -- unless there's another purpose behind the propose laws. -- FORT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM
Well, of course, there's another purpose, OA! To prevent illegals from voting! Who doesn't have a birth certificate? Who doesn't have a driver's license? I hope naturalized citizens obtained their certificate when they were naturalized and hung onto it. If the Fort Worth Star Telegram editor who wrote this piece would get up to speed on voting fraud, they'd know WHY WE NEED THESE BILLS TO PASS! Beats me why they're not aware of what's going on. All you have to do is google Voter Fraud. What happens when you get a driver's license? You register to vote. I cannot emphasize enough that illegals are obtaining fraudulent documentation and obtaining driver's licenses... and registering to vote. There are even people out there registering them to vote if they don't go through the process of getting a driver's license! One senator in California even told hundreds of thousands of them last year that they didn't need to be legal to vote. Get on the phone! The bills go to the floor TODAY! PROTECT YOUR VOTING RIGHTS!
Your representatives and contact numbers can be found here:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/
I did my 2 calls! Odessa's senator is Kel Seliger (512) 463-0131, representative is Buddy West (512) 463-0546. Buddy West's office says HB 218 passed and he voted for it! I also thanked him for standing up to Craddick. They seemed to really enjoy that one. HB 626 is still pending.
