Rep. Van Taylor of Plano believes only the right people should vote.
The Republican-backed voter ID bill passed the Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday night.
During the floor debate on the bill, Laredo Democrat Richard Raymond asked, “Anytime you deal with a law as comprehensive and as big as this you have to take into account people’s voting rights. You would agree with that, right?”
Plano Republican Van Taylor said, “I think it is important to remember that this bill is about making sure that the right people show up on election day and vote.”
“That the right people show up on election day?” Raymond asked. “Who are the right people?”
As much as any group, the transgender community will be affected if — and when – this bill becomes law.
Katy Stewart of the Transgender Education Network of Texas said her organization opposes voter ID bills.
“This law would make transgender persons out themselves at the polls,” she said.
Lisa Scheps, former executive director of TENT, said the law would have a tremendous effect on transgender people.
“So many times transgender people are cross-identified,” Scheps said.
If the photo on a government-issued identification doesn’t match someone’s presentation, the ID will be questioned and the person may be denied the right to vote, she said. While the transgender community wasn’t the main target of this legislation, she said many in the community will be affected.
“It’s a bad bill,” she said. “One more way to disenfranchise many groups of people.”
“The right people” he was referring to are white middle class and straight. Remember he is from Plano!
Rep. Taylor’s comments are being taken out of context. The “right” person, in the context of this floor debate, meant that the person whose voter registration card is presented is the same as the person actually voting. Love or hate the voter ID bill, that’s for you to decide. But comments were taken out of context here.
It’s also unfair to say that the transgendered community wasn’t the “main” target of this legislation. They weren’t at all a target of this legislation, and everyone knows it. This is a back door illegal immigration bill and it has nothing to do with transgendered people. Let’s call a spade a spade.
As it pertains to transgendered people, this bill echoes a continued challenge when a trans person must display a photo ID (and there are TONS of times). Presumably the same challenge can exist when getting IDed at a bar in compliance with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, or during a traffic stop under the Penal or Transportation Code, or getting a document notarized for any number of legal purposes. Adding a provision in the Election Code isn’t unique to other challenges posed by the law.
The larger discussion here may be the very real challenges faced by transgendered people on a daily basis. That discussion can surely raise awareness, but the vote ID bill is a very narrow scope through which to view this problem, in my opinion.
@Justin–what an intelligent well written comment…when I read the headline I was taken aback but after reading your comment I had an aha moment. I always lose my voter ID card and vote with my drivers liscense so I have not understood the big fuss about showing ID to vote—because it is my norm to vote like that—thank you for your clarification of the statement & bill!!
I changed my name to the one I proudly signed here. My state allows the gender marker to be changed when a psychologist signs off on it. Cross identifying can be traumatic. I have no argument with merely IDing to prove the voter is exercizing their franchise properly. But if so, the state of Texas should give ID that either has no gender marker (if it is pricinct ID, or the proper gender marker for who the person know who they are; not as they were IDed at birth.
ID should not be issued that causes social trauma needlessly.
Okay, I’m confused. Say you are out for a night of clubbing and the bouncer at the door asks for ID, you know like age and stuff. But your ID says Gene and you have a beard but tonight you’re Jean in a little black party dress and heels and a clutch.
What’s the proper protoco?
I live in a place where they have “absentee ballots”. I never show ID to anybody. My ballot is mailed to me, and I mail it back. No lines, no waiting, no ID, no hassles.
Justin, well said.
Annica – the problem is not gender markers. The problem comes when the photo on the ID doesn’t match the person holding it.
This is all a ploy by the Republicans to destroy the democratic base. Union busting, making it harder for people of color, the poor, and young people to vote b/c of lack of proper ID. Unfortunately, the T community got caught in this mess. This is why we need to begin uniting all minority communities b/c they are going after us ALL.
I see this more as a Republican ploy for a national ID card.
Not to be contrary, but they’d actually prefer to “chip” or tattoo us with a national ID # exactly like they are getting ready to do to cattle (a great technology test). However, they may not have to since our bank cards are already incorporating RFID chips that are readable by ANY RFID reader in the proximity.
I was so happy when I got my voter reg card that said “F”…now I have to have it changed to match my messed up driver’s license?