VIDEO (UPDATED): MN Senate OKs Photo ID Amendment

Update (10 a.m. Saturday): The Minnesota Senate voted 36-30 Friday night in favor of putting a photo ID constitutional amendment on the ballot in November.

Fridley's two state senators voted on opposite sides. Sen. Pam Wolf (R-51) voted for the bill to put the photo ID amendment on the November ballot, along with all but one other Republican. Sen. Barb Goodwin (DFL-50) voted against the bill, along with all other DFLers and Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona).

(There are 67 seats in the state Senate. Sen. Gary Kubly (DFL-Granite Falls) died March 2; his seat will be filled in a special election April 10.)

Goodwin also spoke against the measure several times during the Senate debate.

Original post (2 p.m. Friday): Watch live video here via The UpTake as the Minnesota Senate decides whether to put a consititutional amendment requiring voters to show photo ID on the November ballot.

The very early Wednesday morning on a party-line, 72-62 vote, after more than nine hours of floor debate.

If the Senate approves the bill today, general-election voters will decide by ballot referendum whether to amend the state Constitution. It does not need Gov. Dayton's signature.

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On Wednesday, Fridley's three representatives, all DFLers, voted against the bill. Rep. Kate Knuth said in a speech on the House floor that the government-issued ID requirement would , such as Bethel, than for those at the University of Minnesota, whose student IDs are government-issued.

Advocates say the measure would make it more difficult to commit voter fraud.

If approved, the photo-ID amendment would alter the system of same-day voter registration in Minnesota, likely with provisional ballots. Fridley has several precincts that reported having in the Twin Cities suburbs.

A similar measure in Wisconsin has proved highly controversial—and was recently struck down by a judge for a second time.

See also related blog post:

Another proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage is already set for a ballot referendum in the fall.

A third proposed constitutional amendment—making Minnesota a "Right to Work" state in which union dues are optional—is making more unsteady progress in the state Legislature.

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