(VIDEO) Capitol Review: Could Technology Quiet the Voter ID Debate?

Voter ID

State Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-District 44A) thinks there could be a way to bridge the voter ID divide.

The Hopkins legislator advocated for an electronic poll book—an electronic system that would store photos and information at the polling location. Voters would show up and be verified against the computer, but they wouldn’t necessarily have to bring their own ID.

“I think that’s the wave of the future,” he said.

(Watch a discussion of the technology in the first YouTube clip above.)

Voter ID has become a flashpoint between Republicans and DFLers. Numerous people testified Wednesday in a Senate hearing against a proposed constitutional amendment that would require photo ID. They argued that it would disenfranchise the elderly, disabled and minorities other who could have trouble obtaining an ID.

(Watch some of the testimony in the second YouTube clip above.)

Simon said he went to a St. Louis Park senior facility last year. Of the few dozen seniors he spoke to, about half said they didn’t have current IDs.

But Republicans say the state needs a better way to combat voter fraud.

Simon—who thinks the voter ID proposal imposes unneccesary burdens—said technology could offer a solution.

“Everyone supports a meaningful voter identification process. No question about that. The question is how to do that,” Simon said. “There are other, better ways to identify a voter. It’s not this or nothing.”

Four Firkins Bill

After it stalled last year, the “” is once again on the table at the legislature with the backing of Simon and Hopkins Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44).

The bill would allow Minnesota liquor stores to sell store-branded merchandise.

Last year, the legislation breezed through the House and became part of an omnibus liquor package, but the Senate kept the bill out of its omnibus package. A conference committee then ultimately killed the legislation.

This year, Simon, who authored the House version of the Four Firkins bill, said he’s hearing that there might not even be an omnibus liquor bill, as House and Senate leaders have said they want to end the session early in an election—and redistricting—year. However, that doesn’t mean the legislation can’t advance.

“I’m going to push (Rep. Joe Hoppe, chair of the House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee)to let it go on its own,” Simon said. “I see this bill as not threatening anyone.”

The legislation was first presented after Simon and Latz, the author of the House version, spoke with Jason Alvey, who owns the St. Louis Park craft beer store for which the bill is named. Alvey was frustrated that he couldn’t legally sell store-branded T-shirts.

“We have lots of regular customers who would be proud to wear a Four Firkins T-shirt,” Alvey said in an interview last year. “We want to be able to sell to them.”

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Here’s what happened this past week with other bills authored or co-authored by your legislators:

Sen. Ron Latz

• Authored a bill that would expand the definition of a qualified domestic violence-related offense. SF1657 was introduced on Feb. 2 and referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.