State senate one step closer to passing voter ID requirements

Missouri Republicans’ decadelong effort to require people to show photo identification when voting has cleared a major hurtle in the state Senate.

Senate Democrats let a bill and a constitutional amendment get initial approval Monday after about a month of stalling. Republicans have agreed to allow people without photo ID to cast a ballot if they sign a statement saying they don’t have the required identification and can show some other form of ID, such as a paycheck or utility bill.

The measures still need a final vote before going back to the House, where lawmakers passed versions of the legislation earlier this year with enough votes to override a possible veto by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. The proposed constitutional amendment would bypass the governor and go on the ballot later this year.