Although a small fee, mainly to cover production costs, would be charged for the voter ID card, Republican leaders point out that states would be required to provide it free to those under a certain income level. But no provision is made for the cost of getting the documents required to prove citizenship.
"There are a lot of folks in rural America without birth certificates," Millender-McDonald said. "You're talking over 40% of seniors in the state of Georgia who do not have a form of ID, or passports, which cost about $100 and they cannot afford."
She dismissed the bill as "a 21st-century poll tax."
Ehlers countered that proof of citizenship is required to receive a Social Security card or Medicare benefits. "I don't see how the bill would disenfranchise" people, he said.
"If they're eligible to vote, then this gives them an opportunity."
Groups opposing the bill include the National Conference of State Legislatures. One of its officials, Susan Parnas Frederick, said the measure would add "bureaucratic burdens we feel are unnecessary."
In Georgia, the state photo ID law took effect July 1 but was immediately blocked by state and federal judges. Supporters of the law, including Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue, have insisted that it is needed to protect against voter fraud.
The Missouri law that tripped up Skelton was struck down last week by a judge who ruled that requiring a government-issued photo ID placed an undue burden on voters.
On Tuesday, Georgia State Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford echoed the Missouri ruling. The case is expected to go to the Georgia Supreme Court before the November elections.
nicole.gaouette@latimes.com
