#VoterID Hearing 4/27/11 Capitol - AB7 - Listening to Testimony

There has been a great deal of, let us say negative feedback.  People are also concerned with fiscal and administrative impacts.  Various estimates of $4M to $5M have been offered - per year?  Semi-official organizations have indicated that training of staff and the public is going to impact preparedness for the next elections.  Whenever the word disenfranchisement is used the Republicans basically resort to rhetorical mechanisms to claim people have responsibility to follow the rules and this bill is not going to disenfranchise anyone.  Representatives of the UW Board of Regents favored allowing Student Ids. League of Women Voters does not support AB 7 ... need I go on!

As I listened/watched on WisEye.org from 11am until 3pm (with some gaps) I think I heard one person support AB 7.

The Brennan Center for Justice (link below) was referenced again and again ... seems like ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) group think.

Voting Rights Under Attack

From that source -

Since January, legislators have proposed strict new voter ID policies in at least 37 states, including Florida, a key swing state in federal elections. Far more restrictive than bills introduced in the past, critics argue these policies are not only ineffective, but also make it harder for seniors, students and other vulnerable citizens to vote. A recent Brennan Center report finds these measures also have high implementation costs at a time when many states are trying to close budget gaps.

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/the_cost_of_voter_id_laws_what_the_courts_say/

 Previous blog entry -
Voter ID Hearing 4/27 Capitol - AB 7 - Common Cause

Today 4/28/11 from the Isthmus -
Dissenters dominate Wisconsin voter ID bill committee hearing - Alison Bauter on Thursday 04/28/2011 8:58 am