Hancock says Voter ID law unconstitutional
Retired U.S. Representative Mel Hancock (R), author of the eponymous Hancock Amendment, tells the Post-Dispatch the voter ID bill as written violates the amendment. The Hancock amendment requires that any state mandate is fully funded by the state.
The story focuses on the City Board of Elections' decision to weigh in on the side of the Voter ID bill. Board head, ACC Contributor, and future chief-of-staff to Governor Bunt, Ed Martin, said the bill will not cost the board any extra money and has hired a $145-an-hour lawyer to make the city's argument.
Secretary of State Carnahan has previously estimated the voter ID bill will cost local governments a collective $22 million in staff time and resources.
Update: Election Board head Ed Martin adds in comments that the story is inaccurate. The Board has, like most boards, legal counsel and that the hiring of Attorney Michael Payne is not an addition. He adds that in the board should have a seat "at the table" when any major decision is made.
State Senator Delbert Scott (R-28) has also joined the lawsuit.
Update: Antonio French is reporting that the St. Louis Board of Elections was denied a role in the lawsuit.
"Ed Martin, said the bill will not cost the board any extra money and has hired a $145-an-hour lawyer to make the city's argument."
Well put ACC.
Posted by Pat on Sat., Aug 19, 2006 at 3:42 PMThe story is not correct. First, the Board has counsel for all Board legal issues - we did not hire a new one to address this suit.
Second, our counsel has intervened to protect the interests of the Board. You see, the lawsuits filed around the issue of the Missouri Voter Protection Act (not simply the photo ID requirement but a range of changes to election law) assert all kinds of impacts to local election jurisdictions but do not name any local elections jurisdictions. Good, smart stewardship of our elections requires local election jurisdictions to be "at the table" when these issues are being adjudicated.
Finally, I hope we can all agree (maybe!) that the St. Louis City Board has show a seriousness of purpose in its efforts to - for the first time in about 15 years - run really fair, transparent, and good elections.
All the best. Ed Martin
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