D Magazine succumbs to Republican propaganda

The first item on today's Frontburner blog, provided by D magazine, misidentifies a bill currently being considered in the Texas House of Representatives. Frontburner calls it a "Voter ID" bill, which is what Republicans are trying to convince people it is.

But it isn't. First, we already have "Voter ID" laws in Texas. In order to vote you must show a voter registration certificate or, if you don't have that with you, a driver's license, a government-issued utility bill, a passport, etc.

The bill the Texas House is considering is a "Voter Suppression" bill designed specifically to make sure Republicans maintain control of Texas politics. Republicans argue that the bill is needed to prevent voter fraud. The problem is there is not one shred of evidence that the fraud Republicans talk about actually exists. According to the Commission on Federal Election Reform, "there is no evidence of extensive fraud in U.S. elections or of multiple voting."

This legislation, in reality is a concerted effort to disenfranchise those groups that have traditionally been marginalized and blocked from practicing their full rights as citizens of the United States of America. According to the National Journal, "it's not the mainstream majority of voters who are at risk here. It's the smaller percentage of Americans who are on the electorate's margins -- students, the elderly, low-income voters, African Americans, non-English-speaking residents -- who disproportionately tend to lack photo IDs. The same group is more likely to lack proof of citizenship such as passports and birth certificates. " These groups also tend to vote Democratic and one report estimates that this bill will mean a clear let loss of between 150,000 and 500,000 votes for Democratic candidates in Texas.

That's why this is a Voter Suppression, not a Voter ID, bill.