The Maine Legislature continued its wrangling over a series of voting bills today when it took up LD 199, a bill that would require Maine voters to present an approved photo identification card to local voting clerks when casting ballots in state and municipal elections. Proponents of the bill say the policy is already in force in eight other states and will serve to discourage fraud in state balloting. But critics argue the measure will disenfrancise voters by discouraging participation in the election process.

For Democrats like Sen. Justin Alfond, of Portland, a bill to require a state-approved photo identification card in order to vote is a solution in search of a problem.

"There's simply no evidence that voter ID requirement solves any real problems here in Maine," he said. "People simply do not impersonate other people in order to vote."

Alfond, the assistant Senate Democratic leader, led the party's charge against the bill that other members of his party believe is being advanced at the behest of GOP state Chairman and Farmington plumber Charlie Webster and other Republicans on the theory that the policy will reduce Democratic votes at the polls.

In fact, state Sen. John Patrick, a Democrat from Rumford, asserted as much on the floor. "I believe this is the second of the voter suppression bills, probably fully supported by Charlie the plumber, along with the 83 Republican representatives and one tribal representative," he said.

That remark brought a quick admonishment from GOP Senate President Kevin Raye. "The chair would advise the senator that he is skating very close to the edge with respect to questioning the motives of senators in support of this bill," Raye said.

"Thank you for that Mr. President, and I will try not to skate any longer," Patrick responded.

State Sen. Stan Gerzovsky, a Brunswick Democrat, said the photo ID requirement would be particularly burdensome on the elderly.

"I'm going to have to take an 88-year-old mother, Mr. President, down to Motor Vehicles sometime before the next election, even though everybody in my community knows her well, and get a photo ID of her, because she stopped driving many years ago," he said. "She doesn't have a driver's license any longer, she doesn't have a clue where it is. We talked about it this weekend. And that's going to be a major inconvenience, not only to my mother but to a lot of other mothers and grandmothers."

In addition to arguing against a policy that she says would create obstacles for voters, Democratic Sen. Margaret Craven of Lewiston said the amended bill would require the state to provide photo IDs at a siginifcant cost to the state.

"In 2007, Indiana changed and set up a voter ID, a photo ID, for citizens to vote and since 2007, they have spent $10 million, and another $2 million to provide free photo IDs to people," Craven said.

But Repubican Sen. Nichi Farnum, of Bangor, said many Mainers are already used to showing photo IDs for various purposes. She says the new voting policy would not be onerous.

"We need a photo ID when we're renting movies, we need a photo ID to use our own money in a lot of cases in our banks, we need a photo ID when we're cashing a check and we need a photo ID when we're doing certain purchases. And I would say any of those things are not half as important as proving our identity when we go to vote. That's not asking too much. If anything, why aren't we doing it now? A lot of us expect to do it."

Assistant Senate Republican Leader Debra Plowman, of Hampden, said the American voting system is strenghtened by a photo ID, and that the integrity of the system is the basis for a peaceful transition of power at all levels of government.

"We don't have government overthrows, we don't have violence at our balloting, because people believe that if you stand up there, you show who you are and you vote, then the will or the people is not thwarted," Plowman said.

The Republicans, however, were unable to hold five of their members, who joined Democrats in a 19-16 vote to defeat the photo ID bill.