January 25th, 2011: Texas State Senator Troy Fraser answers questions from Senator Royce West regarding Voter ID bill in Senate which requires Texas voters to show a valid photo ID before voting.
January 25th, 2011: Texas State Senator Troy Fraser answers questions from Senator Royce West regarding Voter ID bill in Senate which requires Texas voters to show a valid photo ID before voting. Marjorie Kamys Cotera

In what was a foregone conclusion, the Texas Senate passed its version of voter ID out of the chamber’s committee of the whole late Tuesday following more than 10 hours of debate for and against the bill, which would require voters to produce a photo ID at the polls.

All 20 Republicans, including Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, voted for the bill. All 12 Democrats voted against it.

Proponents of the bill tout the measure as a means to protect integrity at the ballot box, and argue that in states where similar laws exist, voter turnout actually improves. Opponents of the bill argue the it would disenfranchise minorities, the elderly and even some students, who may not have access to current government-issued identification.

Testimony included comments from conservative groups like the Harris County-based King Street Patriots, who favored the measure, and opposition from the Texas ACLU, whose executive director, Terri Burke, told senators the bill was a solution in need of a problem.

Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here.

 Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.

Julián Aguilar reported for the Tribune from 2009 to 2021, most recently on politics and on the Texas-Mexico border. He focused on immigration reform and enforcement, voter ID, international trade, border...