Speaker Straus to bring it to a floor vote

From Eric Dondero:

Staunch conservatives have been rather suspicious of San Antonio-based Rep. and two-term House speaker Joe Straus. They launched an effort to oust him earlier in the session. Now Straus is moving a bill along that's been a cause celebre for hardline conservatives and right-libertarians.

The Voter I.D. Act would require state identification for voting purposes in all Texas elections.

According to TexasInsider.org, a Straus colleague and friend, Republican Rep. Jose Aliseda (Dist. 35) was one of the first to endorse the Bill.

“You need an I.D. for everything you do in today’s society … why not to vote? We have counties in this state that have more registered voters than persons eligible to vote.

“As a former prosecutor who has actually prosecuted cases of voter fraud, I believe our citizens need measures like this to inspire confidence in the election system. The opportunity for vote fraud is here. This measure (SB 14, the Voter ID Bill,) will do much to close the door on that.”

Governor Perry has prioritized the Voter I.D. issue and has put it on the "fast track" for signing as soon as it passes through the legislature.