Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

AUSTIN -- In an explosive start to their 2009 session, Republican senators on Wednesday pushed through a plan that would clear the way for approval of a hotly disputed voter ID bill this year.

The measure, which carves out a special exemption in Senate rules for the voter ID legislation, would make it impossible for Democrats to block the proposal as they did in 2007.

The move threatens to ignite partisan division in the chamber not seen since a bitter fight in 2003 over redrawing boundary lines for congressional districts in Texas. That change sharply increased the number of Republican U.S. House members in the state.

The resolution putting the new exemption in Senate rules passed 18-13 after hours of debate. All 12 Democrats voted against it, joined by one of the Senate's 19 Republicans -- John Carona of Dallas.

While the substantive argument was about the issue of requiring Texans to show a photo ID before voting, senators were also debating the nature of business in their chamber. Senators pride themselves on being more deliberative and measured than the larger, more raucous House -- which had a smooth, bipartisan opening to its session after years of rancor over the speakership.

Role reversal

The role reversal had senators arguing over whether their entire session would be poisoned, with tough work still ahead on the state budget, education and other big topics. And Democrats warned that Republicans would regret the change when they lose their majority someday.

"This sends a bitter and partisan tone for what we optimistically thought would be a great session," said Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo. "This is a terrible, terrible mistake. The majority may prevail today, but the majority is not always right."

Sen. Tommy Williams, who sponsored the rule change, insisted the Senate would get by the divisive issue and return to cooperation on major topics this year.

"It is not my objective to run over any member of this body in doing this," said Williams, a Republican from The Woodlands.

A Senate rule in place for decades has required that at least two-thirds of the members must consent before any bill can be brought up for debate. The change approved Wednesday would scrap the rule only for voter ID, requiring only a simple majority of members -- 16 of 31 senators -- to approve a bill on the issue.

Opposition

Democrats have historically opposed voter ID bills, contending they would disenfranchise senior citizens and minorities. Further, they say, there is no evidence that voter fraud is a problem in Texas. Republicans say that the integrity of elections is too important not to require ID.

Currently, seven states require voters to show a photo ID before being allowed to cast a ballot.

"We need to eliminate the possibility of voter fraud in Texas," Williams said. He acknowledged it would be difficult to pass a voter ID bill this year without the change.

Democrats argued that the emphasis on the issue is misplaced.

"Is this more important than dealing with the rising cost of tuition in Texas, which has gone up 53 percent since tuition deregulation in 2003?" asked Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas.

He also challenged Williams to furnish proof that voter fraud exists in the state. Williams noted voter-registration problems during last year's election and some issues in Harris County but did not cite a specific case.

And its unclear whether the bill has much of a future in the House, in which Republicans hold a narrow 76-74 edge. A voter ID bill passed the House two years ago, but barely, and there were more Republicans in the chamber then.

On Wednesday, Senate Democrats tried to carve out a second special exemption for measures to reduce insurance rates in Texas, but that went down on a party-line vote.

Republicans also defeated Democratic-backed exemptions for increased public school funding, property tax cuts, new controls on college tuition rates, health care for Texas veterans, a new jobs creation program and expansion of the state's Children's Health Insurance Program. Democrats argued all those issues were more important to Texans than voter ID.

Mr. Carona, the lone senator to cross party lines on the vote, said that although he supports a new voter ID law, he could not back the special exemption, which he called "foolhardy."

"This sends a terrible message when, after the recent election showed, this country is crying out for bipartisan cooperation," he said. "We are going in the wrong direction. It is time to stop the partisan gamesmanship and deal with issues of importance."