A proposed compromise offered Wednesday on the politically charged voter ID proposal in the Legislature would delay the mandate until 2013, a wrinkle opposed by nearly every House Republican.

Rep. Todd Smith, the GOP chairman of the House Committee on Elections, said his version of Senate Bill 362 reaches for the middle ground that is needed to move a plan through the narrowly divided House, which has 76 Republicans and 74 Democrats, to compromise talks with the GOP-dominated Senate.

Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, has some Democratic support for his compromise proposal on the voter ID bill, but Republicans are saying no.

But Smith, mindful that many House Republicans signed a statement this week opposing any delay in requiring voters to present photo IDs at the polls, conceded that his version might disappoint partisans.

The Euless lawyer said: "The question is: Do we want to pass a bill, or do we want to make a statement? I'm trying to pass a bill."

Smith said he hopes to win his committee's endorsement of the measure this week so that the full House could consider it, possibly as early as next week.

His proposal comes six weeks after the Senate voted along party lines to send the voter ID proposal by Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, to the House. The Senate version would require voters to present a photo ID, or two alternate forms of identification, at the polls before voting and would take effect starting in September, with full implementation in 2010.

Smith's version would:

Require Texas voters to present a photo ID or two other identifying documents for elections after Jan. 1, 2013, a delay he said allows time to prepare voters and give the U.S. Department of Justice time to review the law for compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Permit the creation of county-based signature verification boards to check the signatures of voters who cast provisional ballots against voter registration records.

Establish a criminal penalty for anyone deceiving a voter about ID requirements and step up penalties for committing fraud on a voter registration application.

Take effect only if lawmakers earmark $7.5 million in the 2010-11 state budget for voter registration efforts.

Democratic Rep. Joe Heflin of Crosbyton, a member of the elections committee who's been skeptical of the photo ID push, said of Smith's version: "I could live with it, and I could help push it. I could sell this to some Democratic members."

Some Republicans appeared to be stewing, however. By late Wednesday, 71 House Republicans had signed a statement of principles indicating that any ID proposal must take effect at the "next possible uniform election date," this year. The signing members also say the proposal needs to require voters to present photo IDs, without exception, a tougher requirement than the Senate version.

Other items sought by the members, such as increased penalties for voter registration fraud and the absence of language enabling voters to register the day they vote, seem to align with Smith's version.

Rep. Betty Brown, R-Terrell, earlier issued a statement objecting to using taxpayer dollars for voter registration.