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Voters hold the remedy to the voter ID law
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In light of the Commonwealth Court's decision to uphold the state voter identification law, it is worth noting the following: Nothing in the Pennsylvania Constitution or the U.S. Constitution bars the General Assembly from enacting stupid laws or laws that serve only partisan political purposes. Ironically enough, it is this truism that is the best friend of the law's proponents and defenders.
There might or might not be sufficiently strong legal arguments -- concerning infringement of the right to vote -- to overturn the Commonwealth Court's decision. If not, then it is only through the political process that the voter identification law can be "overturned." A majority of Pennsylvania citizens (required, sadly, to show photo identification) should vote out of office those legislators and that governor who support unnecessary laws designed solely to achieve partisan political ends, and vote into office those who would repeal such laws.
BEN BRATMAN
Mt. Lebanon>BR>The letter writer is an associate professor of legal writing at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
First Published August 19, 2012 12:00 am
