The TDI Sunset bill has been placed on the House Calendar for Saturday, May 23.  Unfortunately, it was scheduled two bills behind the controversial Voter ID bill.  The implications of this are unclear; but, ominous. 
The 81st Legislative session began this year in partisan warfare when the Senate changed its rules in January to allow this politically charged bill to bypass the regular voting procedure in Senate.  Normally, 11 votes in the 31 member body can keep controversial legislation from being considered on the floor of the senate.  There are 12 Democrats in the Senate and they all objected to this bill.  So the Republican majority simply changed the rules – for this one bill only – and partisan political blood was in the water to begin an otherwise hopeful legislative session.

Democrats regard this legislation as an attempt at voter suppression because elderly, low income and disabled voters do not carry a photo ID as regularly as the more fortunate in society.  After they are turned away at the polls due to lack of formal ID and/or lack of information about the change in policy, Democrats rightly fear that many of these voters will not take the time to secure their ID and return to the polls a second time in the day.  Many Democrats regard this as a return to the days of “Jim Crow” laws when obstacles such as poll taxes were placed between poor voters and the ballot box.

Republican political consultants, on the other hand, see this issue a red meat for base Republican Primary voters who resent illegal immigration and have been misled to believe that these undocumented workers are actually voting in our elections.  Democrats point out that there is literally no evidence of this occurring – no reports of such voting from any of the election officials in our 254 counties and no prosecutions from any County or District Attorney.

So, the TDI sunset bill has been placed on the House calendar behind the most controversial matter before the legislature.  We have the highest insurance rates in the nation and the comprehensive insurance reform bill has been given a back seat, behind partisan concerns.  The clock is rapidly ticking on legislative deadlines.  Stay tuned.