Capital Highlights A summary of the week's significant events in Austin
House committee ponders voter I.D. issues
Ed Sterling Texas Press Association

Ed Sterling is director of member services for the Texas Press Association in Austin.

A USTIN - The state House Committee on Elections met Jan. 25

to talk about allegations

that there are some folks who pretend to be someone they aren't when they cast a ballot on election day.

Acting on a legislative interim charge, the committee is seeking to (1) determine if voter fraud exists in Texas, (2) explore ideas on what to do about it if it does exist, and (3) report back to the Legislature in January 2009 when election laws could be amended.

Elections committee chair Leo Berman, R-Tyler, asked if Texas, with its estimated 2 million illegal residents, might be in danger of massive voter fraud.

No testimony seemed to confirm such a danger, but there was testimony indicating that 150,000 or more of Texas' registered voters do not have photo identification.

The idea of a state or federal photo I.D. card that could be used to verify voter eligibility is being tested in Texas and elsewhere.

Voter I.D. legislation failed to pass in the Texas legislature's 2007 session, but the topic is still hot.

Rep. Joe Farias, D-San Antonio, expressed concern that if voters are expected to produce a state photo I.D., such as a driver's license, some older voters in his district might not have the required photo identification, and could be disqualified at the polls.

Rep. Rafael Anchia, DDallas, said there are reliable, published reports concluding that there is little fraud, but what there is of it mainly relates to mail-in ballots.

Kels Farmer, an auditor with the State Auditor's Office, reported a finding that 49,000 registered voters may have been ineligible to vote during the May 12, 2007, special election, because they were felons, duplicates or deceased. Those findings did not show that any of the 49,000 voted.

Jay Dyer of the Secretary of State's Office said half of the 49,000 voters on the roll mentioned by Farmer were duplicates caused by a computer error.

Dale Stobaugh, with the Forensic Document Section of the Texas Department of Public Safety's crime laboratory, said thumbprints would be one way to curb voter fraud, as handwriting samples can be unreliable.

Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said that in serving as elections officer in more than 100 elections over the last 21 years, she was aware of only one case of voter impersonation.

Tarrant County elections administrator Steve Rayburn said he has not seen any voter fraud in nine years.

But Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt said he had proof of 381 cases of voter fraud in his county, including dead people, a jailed felon and non-citizens who voted.

Anchia contested some of Bettencourt's assertions, but both men agreed that if the federal government would give county administrators access to the U.S. citizenship database, it would be easier to prevent voter fraud.

Justice named in complaint

A citizen action group, Texas Watch, filed a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission against Texas Supreme Court Justice Paul W. Green, alleging he used political contributions to pay for travel to and from his home in San Antonio on 272 separate occasions, violating state ethics laws. More phone access for prisoners

The Texas Board of Criminal Justice approved a program to allow more than 100,000 Texas prison inmates regular access to a pay telephone.

Enabling legislation provides for the installation of one pay phone for every 30 eligible inmates. That's about 4,000 phones. Perry talks about state economy

Gov. Rick Perry spoke at the annual meeting of the Texas Association of Business on Jan. 25. He said the state economy is strong and expanding. But, he said, healthcare, how to pay for it, how much to provide, and how to succeed in business while doing so "is one of the most pressing issues of our times."

Crab trap program needs help

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is calling for volunteers to help in the 7th Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program, Feb. 15-24.

During this 10-day period, all Texas bays will be closed to crabbing with crab traps and any traps left in the bay will be presumed to be abandoned and considered litter under state law, thus allowing volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.