Legislation ensuring the integrity of Oklahoma’s electoral process by cracking down on voter fraud passed the House today.
House Bill 1037, by state Rep. Sue Tibbs, would require citizens to provide “proof of identify” before voting. Under the bill, proof of identify could be established by producing a document containing a photograph of the voter that was issued by a state, federal, county, municipal, or tribal government.
“In the last election cycle, turnout was higher than ever before, including in states that took this simple step to reduce fraud,” said Tibbs, R-Tulsa. “This bill in no way will prevent a single Oklahoman from voting, but will in fact improve the confidence voters have in the process.”
The legislation would allow a voter to sign a statement under oath swearing to his or her identity if the voter is unable to produce a photo ID. Anyone found to have signed the oath falsely would be subject to felony punishment.
“The foundation of our democracy depends on voters having confidence in our system,” said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. “This bill will protect the integrity of our process.”
In recent election cycles there have been reports of voter fraud in numerous states, prompting lawmakers to enact new reforms. For example, ACORN, a liberal activist group that has registered millions of voters across the country, has been embroiled in countless fraud allegations and was the subject of an FBI investigation.
Some ACORN employees were accused of submitting false voter registration forms – including some signed `Mickey Mouse' and several in Nevada listing Dallas Cowboys players’ names, though none of the players live in the state. Another Nevada ACORN worker was caught filling out voter registration forms using names and addresses copied out of the telephone book.
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a similar law in Indiana that required voters to show photo identification.
Earlier this year, former Federal Election Commissioner Hans von Spakovsky noted in the Wall Street Journal that Georgia and Indiana saw record numbers of Democrats vote last November, despite having some of the nation’s toughest voter ID laws.
"With every election that has occurred since states have begun to implement voter ID, the evidence is overwhelming that it does not depress the turnout of voters,” von Spakovsky said in the Journal. "Indeed, it may actually increase the public’s confidence that their votes will count.”
“The evidence is overwhelming that this change does not depress the turnout of voters,” said Tibbs. “The opposition to this bill is nothing more than a scare tactic. We are simply trying to protect this most precious right we have in our country; the right to vote in free elections.”
House Bill 1037 passed the House today with a vote of 59-39 and will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Oklahoma State lawmakers voted today to target voter fraud by requiring that Oklahoma citizens provide proof of identity before voting in an election.
"Any election reform package approved this year must start with voter ID as its foundation," said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. "Our top priority is to ensure the integrity of our elections, and to do that we must ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots."
House Bill 1037, by state Rep. Sue Tibbs, would require citizens to provide "proof of identity" before voting. Under the bill, proof of identity could be established by producing a document containing a photograph of the voter that was issued by a state, federal, county, municipal, or tribal government.
"For Oklahomans to have faith in our election process, we cannot tolerate any opportunity for voter fraud," said Tibbs, R-Tulsa. "This legislation provides a simple, cost-effective way to guarantee that no Oklahoman is disenfranchised as the result of illegal votes."
Under the bill, if a voter is unable to produce a photo ID, that person can sign a statement under oath swearing to his or her identity.
Anyone found to have signed the oath falsely would be subject to felony punishment.
In recent election cycles there have been reports of voter fraud in numerous states, prompting lawmakers to enact new reforms.
For example, ACORN, a liberal activist group that has registered millions of voters across the country, has been embroiled in countless fraud allegations and was the subject of an FBI investigation.
Some ACORN employees were accused of submitting false voter registration forms – including some signed `Mickey Mouse' and several in Nevada listing Dallas Cowboys players’ names, though none of the players live in the state. Another Nevada ACORN worker was caught filling out voter registration forms using names and addresses copied out of the telephone book.
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a similar law in Indiana that required voters to show photo identification.
Last week, former Federal Election Commissioner Hans von Spakovsky noted in the Wall Street Journal that Georgia and Indiana saw record numbers of Democrats vote in November, despite having some of the nation’s toughest voter ID laws.
"With every election that has occurred since states have begun to implement voter ID, the evidence is overwhelming that it does not depress the turnout of voters," von Spakovsky said in the Journal. "Indeed, it may actually increase the public’s confidence that their votes will count."
House Bill 1037 passed out of the House Rules Committee today. It will next receive a vote from the entire Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Oklahomans would no longer have to worry about voter fraud or identity theft at the ballot box if legislation passed out of House committee today becomes law.
Senate Bill 1150 would require voters to show one of several options of identification before casting a ballot, including a voter identification card. Rep. Sue Tibbs, author of the bill, said the change is needed to prevent voter fraud and ensure only those eligible are voting.
“Every Oklahoman needs to be assured their vote counts,” said Tibbs, R-Tulsa. “Every voter who is eligible to vote will still be allowed to do so.”
The governor would have 30 days to consider a parole if legislation passed out of the House today becomes law.
House Bill 2957, by Rep. Sue Tibbs, would give the governor’s office 30 calendar days to approve or deny a parole before the recommendation of the parole board automatically goes into effect.
Currently, the governor is allowed 30 days to review paroles, but the statute’s wording doesn’t give a clear start date and the limit is often disregarded, said Tibbs, R-Tulsa.
Paroles sought for all violent crimes as defined in Oklahoma statute and aggravated drug trafficking would still have a 30 calendar day limit, but the board’s recommendation would not go into effect automatically if the governor does not respond within that window, said Tibbs.
"This law would allow the governor to continue to review the most heinous crimes, while cutting through the bureaucratic red tape and saving the taxpayer money in the process," said Tibbs.
A recent independent performance audit of the Department of Corrections recommended the removal of the governor from the parole process, with a possible savings of up to $40 million. Oklahoma is the only state in the country where the governor must review every parole.
The bill passed the House with a vote of 98-1 and will now go to the Senate for consideration.
Legislation protecting Oklahoma voters from fraud at the ballot box passed the House today.
House Bill 2956 would require voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot. Rep. Sue Tibbs, author of the legislation, said the change is needed to prevent voter fraud and ensure only those eligible are voting.
"We have to do everything we can to make sure every Oklahoman has confidence that their vote will count. There are people who don’t believe in our voting system anymore," said Tibbs, R-Tulsa. "This bill does not prevent anyone who is eligible to vote from casting a ballot."
If a voter does not have a photo ID when they show up to vote, the legislation allows an Oklahoman to cast a ballot if they sign a sworn statement swearing or affirming that they are the person identified on the official precinct registry.
"A good number of Oklahomans lack confidence in our voting system and doubt that our process has integrity," said Rep. Trebor Worthen, R-Oklahoma City. "We aren’t depriving anybody of the right to vote by passing this legislation, but we are instilling more confidence in the system."
The bill passed the House with a vote of 55-42 and will next be considered in the Senate.
Legislation ensuring the integrity of Oklahoma’s electoral process by cracking down on voter fraud passed the House today.
