MADISON, Wis. — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate on Wednesday passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would reinforce the state’s strict voter photo ID laws.
Their vote sends the measure to the Assembly, where Republican leaders are planning to take up the issue next week.
Republicans are moving fast to get the amendment onto the state’s April ballot, where it would appear alongside a race that will determine control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The last state Supreme Court race flipped the court to liberal control for the first time in 15 years, and the new majority has since issued several major rulings in favor of Democrats. Republicans worry that voter ID laws could be a target for future lawsuits.
Enshrining voter photo ID laws in the Wisconsin Constitution would make it difficult for a court or future lawmakers to undo them.
Watch: Wisconsin Senate passes voter photo ID amendment
Senate Democrats on Wednesday criticized Republicans for making the amendment their first priority in a new legislative session. It’s the first proposal to receive consideration from the Senate, and lawmakers held a hearing on the bill less than 24 hours after taking their oaths of office.
Democrats argued that the focus should be on measures to address school and gun safety after a recent school shooting in Madison.
“Senate Joint Resolution 2 being on the floor today is tone-deaf. It’s a disgrace,” Sen. LaTonya Johnson said. “You should be ashamed. We owe those families apologies.”
Republicans said the proposal was the first they had ready to go and pointed to the upcoming Jan. 21 deadline to get it on the April ballot. They also pushed back on Democrats’ claims that voter photo ID requirements disenfranchise low-income voters and voters with disabilities.
“This doesn’t deter people from voting. This actually helps to continue to support the importance of your vote,” Sen. Van Wanggaard, the bill’s sponsor in the Senate, said.
Constitutional amendments in Wisconsin must be passed twice in two consecutive sessions of the Legislature and then approved by a majority of the state’s voters. The governor cannot veto a constitutional amendment, and Republicans have used the process in recent elections to work around Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ veto power. The Legislature gave first approval to the voter ID amendment in the last legislative session.
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