House Republicans are rejecting an amendment that would add tribal IDs as a valid identification to register to vote.
That rejection comes as House lawmakers includes state issued nondriver identification as valid to register. Current state law allows those with a driver’s license number to register, or register at a county auditor’s office.
Democratic State Representative Shawn Bordeaux is a member of the Rosebud Tribe. He says he’s struggling with the pushback against tribal IDs.
“It’s like they want to try to impact and effect the voting by trying to get natives not to vote,” Bordeaux says. “Very frustrating to see that happen. A little bit of a pain in the heart to see folks take a direct attack at some of the most vulnerable people who often don’t have the vehicles or the means to get to where they need to go to vote.
Representative Tamara St. John is a Republican who voted against adding tribal IDs to register to vote. She’s a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Tribe.
She says she has concerns about consistency with each tribe identification. She says she’s studying a Native American voting rights act that’s being debated in Washington state.