Star politics: The debate over how we vote
The right to vote is the bedrock of our country. It’s the foundation of our democratic republic. It’s the action that sets our government in motion, gives people a say in the laws that shape our country and, on a selfish note, pays my bills.
But for a long time, our country has struggled with who gets the right to vote and how they can go about it.
It wasn’t until 1828 that non-landholders were allowed to vote. Black men technically got the right to vote in 1870, but many were still blocked from voting until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Women had to wait until 1920.
I point this out because the country has entered a new debate over how, exactly, to handle elections in this country.
In 2022, there have been 72 bills regarding elections enacted in 26 states, according to the Voting Rights Lab, a nonpartisan group that tracks election legislation in statehouses across the country. In 2021, there were 216 bills enacted in 43 states.
The bills cover a range of areas, from how to administer elections, the steps people have to take to vote, whether people who have committed felonies should get to vote and how to manage voting lists.
Often they contain a lot of provisions, making it difficult to say whether they improve voter access or restrict it. They may expand early voting options, but restrict voting by mail. They may require stricter forms of voter ID, but make it easier to track your ballot.
A bill passed by the Missouri legislature Thursday is one of those packages. It would allow Missourians to vote early for up to two weeks before the election, but it tightens rules for who gets to cast an absentee ballot by mail.
Its most controversial provision requires voters to show a photo ID in order to vote. Democrats oppose the idea, saying it would make it harder for minorities, people with disabilities and the elderly to vote. Republicans say it’s both popular among voters and is necessary to help people feel comfortable with the integrity of elections.
The debate over voter ID laws is an old one — Republicans have championed voter ID legislation for more than a decade. A previous voter ID law was struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court in 2020.
But in the aftermath of former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, there has been a push to alter not just how people vote, but the administration of elections themselves. Some states have passed laws handing power from election administrators to offices without election expertise. Others have allowed partisan audits of election results and laws that threaten election officials with strict penalties.
Republicans, responding to pressure from their base, have pushed these provisions in response to Trump’s false claims the election was stolen— even in states like Missouri where everyone agreed the election went off without a hitch.
The Missouri bill has some provisions rooted in the false claims that the election was stolen. It would hand more power to Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, allowing him to audit local voter rolls, and includes a provision that would have blocked the legislature from allowing expanded mail-in voting during the pandemic, to name a few.
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat from Kansas City, said he’s concerned about how states are trying to change elections law. He places the blame for the legislation at the foot of Congress, where partisan gridlock has made it increasingly difficult to get laws passed.
“We have weakened ourselves in terms of the voting rights,” Cleaver said. “Many people are complaining about what these states are doing, but who opened the door for the states to do it? We did it because the failure to pass the Voting Rights Act.”
It remains unlikely Congress will act to standardize some of the elections laws. While multiple voting rights bills have passed the House of Representatives, Democrats do not have the 60 votes necessary to overcome a Republican filibuster. While some have pushed to
More from Missouri
The Missouri House of Representatives wants to help bring the World Cup to Kansas City in 2026. This week, the House voted to exempt World Cup tickets from the state’s sales tax if Jackson County hosts some of the matches. FIFA, the group in charge of the World Cup, will select 11 cities in the U.S. to host matches when the U.S., Mexico and Canada host the tournament in four years. FIFA specifically asks governments to provide tax exemptions in its bidding process guide.
Here are headlines from across the state:
MO lawmakers eye Kansas City’s World Cup bid through tax exemptions, Kacen Bayless
Man arrested at Missouri Capitol after bringing gun ‘to show’ Gov. Parson, Kacen Bayless
Josh Hawley equates abortion protests with January 6 insurrection, Daniel Desrochers
House approves map that keeps Cleaver’s seat, but fate uncertain in Senate, Kacen Bayless
Missouri’s defense of its sweeping gun law echoes Texas abortion case strategy, Jonathan Shorman
And across Kansas
Kansas officially beat Missouri in the race to legalize sports betting. On Thursday, Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation that would allow Kansans to start betting on sports as soon as September, depending on how long it takes the state to approve vendors. The bill positions Kansas to attract revenue from Missourians who cross state lines to bet on the Chiefs in the fall.
Kansas legalized sports betting. Here’s what you need to know, Katie Bernard
Tensions rise between KS regulator and company offering quick cash for rich investors, Katie Bernard
Former K-State student steps down from white nationalist organization amid rift, Judy L. Thomas
Abortion is on the August ballot in Kansas, but a complete ban on the procedure isn’t, Katie Bernard
Mother had to put her health ‘on the back burner.’ New funding will change that, Katie Bernard
The latest from Kansas City
In Kansas City …
Black-owned housing co-op made history in KC. Now it faces foreclosure, Bill Lukitsch and Anna Spoerre
Suburban Kansas City man charged in connection with Capitol riot, Bill Lukitsch
Apartment incentives OK’d for St. Louis firm with history of complaints, lawsuits, Kevin Hardy
Have a news tip? Send it along to ddesrochers@kcstar.com
Odds and ends
Hawley v. Disney
Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, joined the crowd of conservatives going after Disney for opposing a law that prevents teachers from mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity to students in kindergarten through third grade and allowing parents to sue school districts if they believe instruction in higher grades is not “age appropriate.”
He introduced a bill in the Senate that would strip Disney of its copyright to characters they created before 1966, which would include Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the other faces that have become synonymous with the Disney brand.
He’s just the latest conservative to target the entertainment giant — Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas — joined the fray last week when he asked the TV Parental Guidance Advisory Board to update their ratings to help parents shield their children from LGBTQ characters.
Where Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who like Hawley is a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, can actually step in and take action against Disney, Hawley’s move is largely symbolic. His bill has no co-sponsors and is unlikely to pass a Democratic-controlled Senate, let alone a more progressive House of Representatives.
But hey, at least he’s been able to fundraise off of it.
Ukraine aid vote
The House of Representatives voted to authorize another $40 billion in funding to help Ukraine as U.S. money to help the country is set to run out at the end of the week.
The bill passed with a large majority of votes, as most members are eager to back up their talk about supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion. But there were a couple of familiar names among the 57 people who voted against the bill: Missouri GOP Reps. Billy Long and Vicky Hartzler and Kansas GOP Reps. Tracey Mann and Ron Estes.
Long and Hartzler are both running in a Republican primary for U.S. Senate, one where Hartzler has been hit several times about votes she’s made over the course of her 12 years in Congress. Long said he opposed the bill because it increased from the $33 billion Biden requested to $40 billion and because his constitutents have said Congress should be more focused on issues in the country.
Estes said his vote was about fiscal responsibility.
“We should support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom while also making sure we spend taxpayer funds with accountability,” Estes said. “Democrats’ recent bill was 40 billion taxpayer dollars – billions more than the entire U.S. Department of Justice budget. We need reasonable support to Ukraine — not another spending bonanza that will lead to further inflation.”
Grocery game
The Democratic Governors Association made a game where you can move around a picture of Gov. Laura Kelly (in which she appears to be wearing something like a life alert necklace) to catch falling grocery items in a brown bag. For each grocery item you catch, you “save” money. Miss three items and you’re out. The highest I got was $11.42 in savings.
The game is part of a larger effort by Kelly to highlight a law that eliminates Kansas’ 6.5% sales tax on food in stages. The push comes as Kelly is facing a tough gubernatorial election bid amid an economy that’s been hampered by high inflation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported inflation was up in April 8.3% from last year.
The computer game isn’t Kelly’s first gimmick to bring attention to her efforts to cut the food tax. She’s been going around the state for a while with a hatchet to emphasize the ax part of the rhyme “ax the food tax.” Her likely general election opponent, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, called them “hatchet-wielding media stunts.”
Happy Friday
The celebrities are afraid of Twitter. I’m over cocktails so just have bourbon on the rocks. Here’s Carly Rae Jepsen’s new song.
Enjoy your weekend.
Looking for more?
Think this newsletter is missing something? Think I’m fabulous? Think I’m a moron? Send your reactions to ddesrochers@mcclatchydc.com.
For more politics news, follow @Kacen, @KatieJ_Bernard, @drdesrochers, @jonshorman and @cortlynn_stark.
Support local journalists with a subscription.
Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can sign-up here. If you’d prefer to unsubscribe from this newsletter, you can do so at any time using the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this message.
This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 7:55 PM.
