Harry Tindell

NASHVILLE — Legislation requiring most Tennesseans to show government-issued photo identification before voting appeared to have failed in the House Elections Subcommittee Wednesday.

The vote on House Bill 693, which recently passed the Senate, came along partisan lines in the six-member House Elections Subcommittee.

All three Democrats voted against a key amendment on the bill, while all three Republicans voted for it. The bill then was declared dead by Chairman Eddie Yokely, D-Greeneville, although no vote on the actual bill occurred.

In other legislative action Wednesday:

* House Bill 959, which closes off public access to the names of people with state-issued permits to carry loaded handguns, cleared a major hurdle in the House Budget Subcommittee on a voice vote.

Rep. Eddie Bass, D-Prospect, said the National Rifle Association-backed bill is needed because information such as home addresses and dates of birth in the state handgun-carry permit database could aid in identity theft.

“What makes this different than voter registration information that you can get off the Internet, or anything else?” asked Rep. Joe Armstrong, D-Knoxville.

He questioned why the information is being shut off “when we have identifiable incidents where people who have weapons permits have committed acts of violence.”

The bill is opposed by a coalition of news media organizations. Attempts at a compromise so far have failed.

* Efforts to cap lottery winnings for welfare, food stamp and TennCare enrollees at $600 failed in the House State Subcommittee.

Rep. Stacey Campfield’s bill died when a motion by subcommittee Chairman Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, to consider the proposal failed for lack of a second.

“I’m disappointed,” Rep. Campfield said later. “I think more people should be able to concentrate on the things they have to do, which is feeding their children, putting clothes on their children’s back, you know, paying for housing and those sorts of things rather than lottery tickets.”

* House Judiciary Committee members approved three bills dealing with Tennessee’s system for naming and electing appellate judges to the Government Operations Committee where they will await a compromise, should one be forthcoming.

Earlier in the day, the legislation to require photo ID for voters drew spirited debate among elections subcommittee members.

Rep. Harry Tindell, R-Knoxville, charged the bill “is targeting poor and minority Tennesseans who do not have these IDs that you are going to make mandatory.”

He likened the bill to “trying to put a poll tax in some kind of hoop to jump through.”

Rep. Maggart countered, “I am not doing this for a poll tax.”

“We are not trying to keep anyone from voting. We’re not trying to hurt anyone who’s poor, and we’ve worked really hard to make sure we included people so they can vote,” she said.

As passed by the Senate, the bill exempts anyone over 65 from having to present a photo ID before voting. Those saying they are too poor to afford a driver license or other government-issued ID would be allowed to sign an affidavit saying they are indigent and affirming their identity.

House Speaker Kent Williams appeared in the committee and said, “I think we need legislation to do whatever we possibly can to prevent election fraud. But I’m not sure your bill is the appropriate vehicle.”

Speaker Williams previously has broken ties on some bills in committees he has evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. But he left the committee before the vote.

Rep. Maggart later said, “I was disappointed that Speaker Williams had left. The Republican Caucus needed his support on this bill.”