KPTM FOX 42: Omaha News, Sports and Weather; kptm.com |Common Sense vs Complicated: Groups Debate the Nebraska Photo ID Bill

Maureen Wurtz

LINCOLN (KPTM)- Nebraska could soon be the latest state requiring you to show a government issued photo ID when you go vote.

The Nebraska legislature is talking about a bill making that law.

Those against it say there should be no added requirements to vote, but those for the bill say it could prevent voter fraud.

Voters' rights was the topic of discussion at the Capital today.  Things got loud as dozens of people lobbied Senators to keep or kill the Nebraska Voter ID bill.

Each side on the bill say its looking out for the disenfranchised.  However, the differences lay not in the word itself, but rather the definition.

"Any time there's even a possibility of voter fraud and you have people voting who are not what they say they are, then you disenfranchise those who have a legal right to participate in the process of voting," said Mark Gill.

"Having certain people based off certain disabilities or socioeconomic status, be disenfranchised from the polls, there is a problem with that," said Adam Morfeld.

Both say they're standing up for constitutional rights of Americans.

"To be erecting barriers to voting when there's not an actual identifiable problem," said Morfeld.

Those opposed to the bill ask, if it isn't broken, why fix it? "We're searching for a problem that does not exist when it comes to LB 239," said Willie Hamilton.

"People who are concerned about fraud, they have to support the bill.  If you support fraud, you wouldn't support the bill," said Senator Mark Christensen.

Now it's up the state legislature to vote about how you might vote this fall.

The bill will be up for discussion later this week.