In the GOP, voter ID is a slam dunk ... except in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. – State Sen. Mike Groene was frustrated but not terribly amazed past twelvemonth erstwhile Nebraska’s Legislature rejected, for the seventh time, a measurement that would person forced voters to amusement a government-issued recognition astatine the polls.

The contented is simply a slam dunk successful astir blimpish states, wherever Republican majorities simply brushwood speech Democratic objections to walk much restrictive voting laws. But not successful Nebraska, a GOP stronghold whose quirky, nonpartisan Legislature enables much wide lawmakers to derail bills that are wide supported successful a authorities wherever Republicans clasp each statewide and national office.

“It’s the mode the strategy is acceptable up,” said Groene, a blimpish Republican who supports a elector ID law. “It isn’t designed to code large issues that astir of the authorities wants.”

Now, a run bankrolled by the blimpish governor's parent is aiming to extremity Nebraska's favoritism arsenic the lone GOP authorities without a elector ID law. The radical Citizens for Voter ID is gathering the astir 125,000 signatures needed to enactment the contented connected the 2022 wide predetermination ballot, and adjacent opponents admit the measurement astir apt volition pass.

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The effort is the latest reflection of a polarized governmental clime that nary longer tolerates overmuch saltation from the prevailing partisan agenda, careless of section contented oregon circumstances. Although Nebraska's unsocial nonpartisan, one-chamber legislative strategy is improbable to alteration due to the fact that it's portion of the authorities constitution, politicians are progressively consenting to enactment astir it.

“I thought it was clip to instrumentality it to the people,” said authorities Sen. Julie Slama, the petition drive's sponsor.

Slama acknowledged that Nebraska has nary past of elector fraud, but she said constituents successful her rural, blimpish territory wonderment wherefore the authorities doesn't person a measurement that's Republican orthodoxy elsewhere.

“It makes america look bad,” said Doug Kagan, president of the blimpish Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, which has pushed for elector ID laws. “Every year, determination are much states that walk immoderate benignant of elector ID law. It’s benignant of an anomaly that we haven’t passed one."

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The run has already raised $377,000, with each but $1,000 of that coming from Marlene Ricketts, the parent of GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts and the woman of Joe Ricketts, a billionaire blimpish activist.

Opponents reason that the extremity of elector ID isn't to guarantee unafraid elections but to discourage voting by minorities and others who thin to ballot for Democratic candidates. But they admit that Nebraska is apt to stay solidly Republican with oregon without elector ID. Nebraska is 88% achromatic and backed Donald Trump successful the 2020 wide predetermination by 19 percent points implicit Democrat Joe Biden.

Nevertheless, pursuing the enactment enactment present astir apt won't beryllium easy. Since 1937, Nebraska's Legislature, dissimilar each different states, has been comprised of 1 enclosure and lawmakers person been officially nonpartisan, though enactment affiliations are wide known. There are nary ceremonial caucus meetings wherever enactment leaders archer members however to vote; Democrats are sometimes chosen to caput committees contempt holding lone 17 of the 49 seats.

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Longstanding rules besides necessitate a two-thirds ballot to flooded a filibuster, meaning supporters of a measure request astatine slightest 33 members — 1 much spot than Republicans hold.

Those rules person helped Democrats bushed backmost galore bills implicit the years, including charter schoolhouse proposals, efforts to extremity the state’s signifier of splitting up its statesmanlike electoral votes and, of course, elector ID.

It leaves Republicans frustrated, but implicit the years fewer person tried to alteration the system, approved by voters astatine the urging of erstwhile U.S. Sen. George Norris, a progressive Republican who argued it would beryllium much responsive to regular people's needs. Some legislators besides judge the strategy encourages practice and limits firebrands who privation to rotation implicit their opponents.

Republican authorities Sen. John McCollister, of Omaha, has voted against elector recognition bills and different bills supported by his party, drafting beardown condemnation from GOP officials extracurricular the Legislature, but not from his colleagues.

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“I deliberation astir of america consciousness escaped to beryllium much autarkic than we would successful a authorities with a enactment caucus system," said McCollister. “We aren’t truthful speedy to leap connected immoderate of these governmental exercises that different states person gotten into.”

But the propulsion for ballot measures whitethorn turn stronger arsenic different partisan issues get stuck successful the Legislature, said Hal Daub, a longtime Republican activistic and erstwhile congressman and Omaha mayor. Over the past decade, petition drives person allowed Nebraska voters to reinstate the decease penalty, grow Medicaid, modulate payday lenders, legalize casino gambling and rise the minimum wage — each issues wherever the electorate overruled authorities lawmakers.

“It's a structural occupation that's going to unit much of these initiatives,” said Daub, who donated $1,000 to the elector ID campaign.

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