Pennsylvania Democrats use loophole to beat Voter Suppression Law

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Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 02:41 am

Now that Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has sent the state’s version of the ALEC inspired voter ID law back to the lower court , asking the Judge to consider enjoining the law, it is probable that Pennsylvania’s voter ID will go to that place down under especially reserved for vote suppression laws.

Just the same, some counties in Pennsylvania adopted an innovative approach to assuring that people do get the ID they need under the law.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Montgomery and Alleghany Counties used a loophole in the law that allows Colleges and Nursing homes to issue voter ID’s to anyone who resides in their counties.

It also appears that other counties are seriously considering adopting the same approach.

“A voter-ID mutiny launched by Democratic-controlled Montgomery and Allegheny Counties showed signs of spreading across the state Friday, as Philadelphia and a handful of other local governments said they, too, would consider issuing poll-ready identification cards through county-run nursing homes and colleges.”

This is one of those special moments, since at least some Republicans are showing little desire to oppose this measure, despite the fact that Democrats came up with the idea.

“I don’t think anyone contemplated the possibility of a county nursing home becoming an issuer of an identification document that could be used to satisfy the voter-ID requirement,” said Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware), a key force in enacting the law last March. But he added, “I am not against the principle of other entities having the ability to issue cards, as long as we have uniform standards and safeguards in place.”

Of course, the Pennsylvania’s Department of State’s spokesman Ron Ruman opposes this approach.

“It’s clearly contrary to the intent of the law,” said spokesman Ron Ruman. “We believe it raises tremendous safety and liability issues. If my child attended a school that was giving out such IDs, I would have serious concerns.”

Well of course, it is clearly contrary to the intent of a law that was intended to suppress the vote so that Pennsylvania would be delivered to Kaiser Romney. Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, who was the original sponsor of the law. The original stated intent was to prevent non-existent voter fraud. But now that the talking point has been discredited, Metcalf adopted Mitt Romney’s disastrous 47% meme to justify his voter suppression law. Metcalf admits that he thinks “you people” in the 47% are probably too lazy to bother getting the ID anyway. Moreover, if you’re one of those “lazy 47%” you don’t deserve the vote anyway.

HOST: Are you absolutely convinced…that the methods to implement this law are effective and will in fact make sure no legitimate voter will be disenfranchised?

METCALFE: I don’t believe any legitimate voter that actually wants to exercise that right and takes on the according responsibility that goes with that right to secure their photo ID will be disenfranchised. As Mitt Romney said, 47% of the people that are living off the public dole, living off their neighbors’ hard work, and we have a lot of people out there that are too lazy to get up and get out there and get the ID they need. If individuals are too lazy, the state can’t fix that.

Even though it does defy the political intent of Metcalf’s bill; Ron Ruman did acknowledge that it’s legal according to the Chester County’s Daily Local News.