Kansas House hears concerns on voter ID bill

TOPEKA | Stephanie Mott has an unusual problem with a proposal that would require Kansans to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote and a photo ID every Election Day.

Her birth certificate says "Steven," but her driver’s license reads "Stephanie."

The transsexual Topeka woman fears her vote could be declared invalid if the state adopts a stringent new voter ID law. "These are the kinds of things that cause people not to vote," Mott told lawmakers considering the proposal Wednesday. "People like me would be left out."

Mott was one of several Kansans who spoke out against Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s idea to require more identification at the polls. The NAACP, ACLU, National Organization for Women, League of Women Voters and advocates for the blind told lawmakers that, while a voter ID bill might root out a few illegally cast ballots, it could pose problems for many more legal voters.

"We should all be concerned about even a single illegal voter casting a vote; we should be even more concerned if even a single legal voter is disenfranchised," said Kevin Myles, president of the Kansas State Conference of NAACP Branches.

The new rules probably would mean the end of voter registration booths at community events, since those registering are unlikely to have proof of citizenship handy.

The hearing Wednesday capped three days of meetings on the voter ID bill. H.B. 2067 would require all first-time voters to provide a birth certificate, passport or a photocopy when registering to vote. Voters would have to present a government photo ID at the polls.

Supporters and critics predict easy passage in the House. Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, has said he supports the idea.

But the bill’s backers say they’re willing to tweak the bill to address concerns raised by critics such as Mott and Myles.

Rep. John Rubin, a Shawnee Republican, said the committee should ensure the rules for registering new voters don’t create unnecessary obstacles for the poor, people with disabilities and others.

Yet he still thinks a voter ID law is needed to protect the integrity of the state’s elections. "We don’t want to disenfranchise legal voters," Rubin said. "But we also don’t want to disenfranchise legal voters by diluting their votes with fraudulent ones."

In other legislative news:

The House Federal and State Affairs Committee wrapped up two days of hearings on a bill to repeal a state law granting in-state tuition to children of illegal immigrants who graduate from Kansas high schools.

On Wednesday the committee heard from defenders of the law, who told lawmakers it wasn’t fair to penalize children for their parents’ decision to come to the country illegally. Officials from the state Board of Regents and the Kansas City, Kan., school district spoke in favor of keeping the law.

The panel could vote to send the bill, H.B. 2006, to the full House for consideration as soon as today.