State Rep. Gary Hebl, D-Sun Prairie, and state Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, proposed a revision to the voter ID law Wednesday that would allow citizens to obtain a replacement identification card for free.
The bill requiring Wisconsinites to show photo ID in order to vote was signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker last May in an attempt to limit voter fraud.
Opponents say the law disenfranchises the elderly, students and minorities.
Taylor and Hebl are troubled by an aspect of the law requiring eligible voters who lose their state-issued ID card to pay a $10 replacement fee.
Hebl said the law will have a negative impact on voter turnout among students because ID replacement fees and requirements are ""hurdles and obstacles that limit the amount of students who can vote.""
The law deems student IDs as acceptable voter identification provided they have an issuance date, expiration date within two years of the issuance date and a student signature. Currently, no UW System campus IDs meet the requirements and changing IDs would be costly.
The Government Accountability Board introduced a less costly option to altering student IDs: putting stickers on the IDs to satisfy the requirements needed to identify voters. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald,R-Juneau, and Assembly Speaker Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, requested the proposal be reviewed to ensure Wisconsin elections are fair.
College Republicans Spokesperson Jeff Snow agreed.
""The distribution of stickers that enable UW identification cards to be accepted at the polls allows for another layer of potential fraud,"" Snow said.
Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Chair Hannah Somers said the UW System should take steps to change students IDs themselves to meet the new voting requirements. Somers said if the changes are too costly then the stickers are an ""acceptable alternative.""
Taylor and Hebl are currently seeking co-sponsorship for the proposal before it goes to the Legislature.
