Over the past two years, the Republican-led Oklahoma House has twice passed legislation that would require all voters to show photo identification at the polls. In each case, the measure later stalled in Senate Committee. With GOP leaders predicting their party will wrestle control of the state Senate in November, a voter ID law could come one step closer to reality (though it could still face a veto from the Governor).
This week on Oklahoma Voices, we listen to a recent debate on the matter hosted by the Oklahoma Republican Capitol Caucus. State Rep. John Wright (R-Broken Arrow) argues in favor of the measure, saying it would help instill voter confidence that their representatives in government have been fairly and properly elected. Chuck Thornton of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma disagrees. He says such requirements amount to �a solution in search of a problem� and impose �an obstacle to a fundamental right.� And Oklahoma County Election Board Secretary Doug Sanderson describes the current laws regarding voter registration and identity verification.
In the second half of our program, our guest hosts -- University of Oklahoma Political Science Professor Keith Gaddie and OU International Programs Center Vice-Provost Zach Messitte � speak with State Senator Andrew Rice (D-OKC), who�s running for US Senate against Republican incumbent Jim Inhofe. KGOU has been speaking with Sen. Inhofe�s office, and we hope to conduct an interview with him in the coming weeks.