Saturday, March 12, 2005
Voting Bill Leads to Walkout in Ga. Senate
ATLANTA (AP)
The state Senate's Democratic caucus, led by the chamber's black members, walked out of the Legislature Friday after an emotional vote on voting rights.
Immediately after a 7 p.m. vote that would eliminate 12 of the 17 forms of identification that may be used at Georgia polls, a majority of Senate Democrats, including all black members, left the chamber.
"This is wrong!" Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, shouted before the exit. "We will not go back."
All but one other member of the Democratic caucus left shortly afterward. Most Democrats returned to the chamber about 25 minutes later.
"We wanted to at least show them we support them," said Sen. Michael Meyer Von Bremen, D-Albany.
Republican sponsors of the bill said it was an effort to cut down on voter fraud.
"My intention was to make sure in Georgia that next election, or down the road, we don't end up with all the lawsuits or all the voter irregularities we've heard about," said Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, the bill's sponsor.
The bill, which passed 32-22 along party lines, would require a photo ID to vote.
It would remove other forms of ID, including a Social Security card, birth certificate or student identification, from the list.
Democratic critics compared the effort to the poll taxes, literacy tests and other laws aimed at suppressing black votes during segregation. They said poor and minority voters are more likely to be without photo ID than other voters.
"What's happening today is just an updated form of Jim Crow," said Fort, referring to segregation-era laws that suppressed black voting. "You may be more polite about it ... but we know who's going to be disenfranchised."
In an emotional speech, Sen. Kasim Reed, D-Atlanta, shouted that senators were "stabbing race relations in the heart" by pushing the plan.
Staton said the bill allows anyone, even non-drivers, to apply for a state ID card from Georgia's motor vehicles department. He said people who can't afford one may request one for free.
Friday was the 30th day of the Legislature's 40-day session. By unofficial agreement, it is the last day a bill must pass at least one chamber to be considered by the other.
The House was expected to consider a similar bill Friday night. Several black Democrats in that chamber had left, but no organized walkout had occured by shortly before 8 p.m.
The state Senate's Democratic caucus, led by the chamber's black members, walked out of the Legislature Friday after an emotional vote on voting rights.
Immediately after a 7 p.m. vote that would eliminate 12 of the 17 forms of identification that may be used at Georgia polls, a majority of Senate Democrats, including all black members, left the chamber.
"This is wrong!" Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, shouted before the exit. "We will not go back."
All but one other member of the Democratic caucus left shortly afterward. Most Democrats returned to the chamber about 25 minutes later.
"We wanted to at least show them we support them," said Sen. Michael Meyer Von Bremen, D-Albany.
Republican sponsors of the bill said it was an effort to cut down on voter fraud.
"My intention was to make sure in Georgia that next election, or down the road, we don't end up with all the lawsuits or all the voter irregularities we've heard about," said Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, the bill's sponsor.
The bill, which passed 32-22 along party lines, would require a photo ID to vote.
It would remove other forms of ID, including a Social Security card, birth certificate or student identification, from the list.
Democratic critics compared the effort to the poll taxes, literacy tests and other laws aimed at suppressing black votes during segregation. They said poor and minority voters are more likely to be without photo ID than other voters.
"What's happening today is just an updated form of Jim Crow," said Fort, referring to segregation-era laws that suppressed black voting. "You may be more polite about it ... but we know who's going to be disenfranchised."
In an emotional speech, Sen. Kasim Reed, D-Atlanta, shouted that senators were "stabbing race relations in the heart" by pushing the plan.
Staton said the bill allows anyone, even non-drivers, to apply for a state ID card from Georgia's motor vehicles department. He said people who can't afford one may request one for free.
Friday was the 30th day of the Legislature's 40-day session. By unofficial agreement, it is the last day a bill must pass at least one chamber to be considered by the other.
The House was expected to consider a similar bill Friday night. Several black Democrats in that chamber had left, but no organized walkout had occured by shortly before 8 p.m.
