May 18, 2011

At 12:30 AM Wednesday, Senate Democrats obstructed approval of Assembly Bill 7 (AB 7), an elections reform measure. Most notably, AB 7 requires citizens to provide photo identification to vote at a polling place or to vote absentee.

State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), a sponsor of AB 7 and Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportations and Elections, issued the following statement after the Senate adjourned just after 1:00 AM Wednesday.

"Early this morning, Senate Democrats again used stall tactics to delay a vote on needed legislation. The Democrats used a procedural maneuver to stand in the way of approval of long-overdue voter ID legislation.

"The vast majority of Wisconsinites support requiring photo identification to vote. By preventing a vote on Assembly Bill 7 tonight, the Senate Democrats again demonstrate they are out of touch with the average Wisconsin voter that wants to know their vote counts."