House Republicans ready to vote on proposal that would require voters to have state-issued photo ID

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Intro:	A measure that would require a state-issued photo ID to vote is headed to the floor of the state House.
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Wrap: Republican Representative Stanley Cox introduced the bill, and spent over an hour in an Elections Committee answering questions from House Democrats, several of whom say the push for photo-ID has been politically motivated.

Stacey Newman is a Democratic Representative from St. Louis County. She says the photo ID requirement would increase the number of provisional ballots, which she says are seldom cast correctly and then not counted.

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Description: "These efforts from various states across the country are designed to restrict voters from voting Democrat."

Cox says his bill contains safeguards like an exemption for the elderly which would prevent any voters from being disenfranchised.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.

Intro:	Black lawmakers in the state capitol say efforts to require a photo-ID to vote are not only political in motivation, but acts of oppression.
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Description: "If you can find voter fraud in the state of Missouri then we probably can have that conversation but it doesn't exist."

That's St. Louis City Senator Jamilah Nasheed. She says voter ID bills being pushed by Republicans in the state capitol could make it harder for minority voters to cast a ballot.

Republicans say the state needs to require a voter ID to make sure people aren't impersonating each other at the polls, but Democrats say it will disenfranchise certain citizens and cost the state unnecessary funds.

A photo-ID measure was passed out of the House Elections committee on a party-line vote.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.

Intro:	Republican lawmakers are revisiting legislation that would require voters to have a state-ID, but Democrats are saying the measure disenfranchises certain citizens.
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Wrap: The House Elections committee voted along party lines to send a voter ID measure to the House floor.

A similar measure was struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court in 2006, but the new proposal would change the constitution with a state election. St. Louis area attorney Denise Lieberman says she plans to sue to stop the voter ID proposal.

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Description: "These proposals stand to benefit those who are sponsoring them by ensuring that voters who are unlikely to vote in their interests stand to be relegated to second class citizenship."

Republicans say the state needs to require a voter ID to make sure people aren't impersonating each other at the polls.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.

Intro:	Republican State Lawmakers are pushing a measure that would require voters have a state-issued photo-ID before casting a ballot.
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Wrap: The House Elections committee passed the measure onto the House floor on a party-line vote.

A similar measure was struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court in 2006. But Republican Representative Stanley Cox wants the state to vote to amend the constitution so that can't happen again.

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Description: "I think the voters will approve it by an overwhelming 75 to 85 percent and when they do that then they will have to uphold it because its a reasonable regulation and an exercise of a very common sense way of protecting the vote."

Democrats say Missouri doesn't have a voter fraud problem. They say Republicans are trying to stifle the votes of minority voters.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Alex Mallin.