Debate began Monday in the Missouri House on legislation to require voters to show photo identification at the polls. As Marshall Griffin tells us from Jefferson City, the back-and-forth got pretty heated at times.
House Democrats, including Stephen Webber of Columbia, suggested that some military veterans could be disenfranchised if required to show a photo ID at the polls. The bill’s sponsor, Speaker Pro-tem Shane Schoeller, took exception to that charge.
“So don’t tell me veterans are gonna be disenfranchised, because that’s why they went and fought, is to make sure that we have free, fair and honest elections, gentleman!” Schoeller said.
“Gentleman, that’s a lot of fake anger to work up over a question I didn’t even ask,” Webber retorted.
House leaders had planned to hold its first vote on the bill Monday, but they laid it aside due to the large number of Democrats wanting to speak against it. Debate is expected to resume Tuesday.