Kris Kobach's embarrassing loss
Yael T. AbouhalkahKansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach won’t get a chance to solve a problem that doesn’t exist, at least this year.
On Thursday, Kobach said his efforts to speed up requirements in a voter-identification law won’t get past the state Senate this session.
The “proof-of-citizenship rule” already is law, but doesn’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2013. Kobach wanted to make it effective this June.
But Senate President Steve Morris stopped that effort; thank you, Mr. Morris, like Kobach a fellow Republican.
Kobach has claimed he wants to stop illegal aliens from voting in Kansas - a problem that doesn’t exist, because even Kobach’s own efforts have never been able to find more than a handful of people who have done that in a state where more than a million registered voters exist.
What a misplaced priority for a publicly paid servant.
But here’s a kicker that I found buried in the story:
“Morris noted that the state Division of Vehicles is undergoing a $40 million upgrade of the computer system that handles driver’s licenses. The new system is designed to allow division offices to transfer electronic copies of birth certificates and other records used by drivers to verify their citizenship to election officials.”
Wait a minute: This is the system that Kobach is counting on to help make sure people are really citizens of the United States - the state’s new computer system, which has been having problems in Johnson County and other parts of Kansas this week?
That computer system obviously is not up and running correctly in mid-May, even though Kobach wanted it to be enforcing a state law by mid-June.
This is just another example of an overzealous, prosecutorial and misguided approach by a secretary of state dedicated to trying to make it more difficult for legitimate people to vote.
George Hunsucker
Northland
1 year agoGood question Chuck, it will be “interesting” to see YT’s response, or, I suspect, non-response since there is no plausible answer.
Maybe we will get a lib-speak answer!!!!
George Hunsucker
Northland
1 year ago5 hours and no answer from YT…..
Sam Woods
1 year agoReally Mr. H.? You want voter eligibility to be subject to the current KS DMV? Friends have spent hours and hours trying to get anything from new licenses to tags from the Kansas DMV. This is the system that allows people to vote? Republicans must be incredibly desperate to get other “true” republicans in charge of the state for this to happen. If the law went into effect on Kobach’s timeline I can guarantee a judge’s (taxpayer funded) injunction. Rightfully so.
Rick Adams
1 year agoChuck,
Can you point out the period separating Yaels “sentences” ? I only see one sentence and I think we all know exactly what he means - it doesn’t happen but gosh, we sure (ok, some of use .. ok, a small group of crazies ) make it sound like it happens every day, from the Library Board up to picking a Governor .. Aliens from Mars come to Kansas to vote for other aliens … is that it ? Can you do better than that ? A 40 Million dollar DMV upgrade to catch … nothing.
There , I answered for Yael. He can move along to more important things like keeping Dan Beyer from having an abortion.
JR Beillenhouser
1 year agohttp://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE84A1AF20120511?irpc=932
Steve Ponnath
1 year agoWhile getting a dog and a drink in the QuikTrip on Southwest Blvd at 31st street, I watched two individuals photocopy a deck of social security cards. It was twice as thick as a deck of cards. Heck, there’s not identity theft. And there’s no illegals voting. Yeah right. Hey Yeal, go spend a day wandering around and get out of that office you’re spending too much time in.