This morning in Richmond, several Democratic members of the Virginia House and Senate as well as activists and everyday citizens showed at a rally against two bills offered by GOP members of the VA Senate to require ID to vote in Virginia.
Attending the rally were Rep. Bobby Scott, VA Democratic Party chief Brian Moran, Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones and many members of the legislature including Senators Mamie Locke and Henry Marsh and Delegates Mark Keam and Scott Surovell.
With two new bills coming down the pike Virginia is likely to become yet another state with a GOP 
controlled Governor and legislature that will pass voter ID laws to 
coincide with the election in 2012. Virginia is a key state for whoever wins the presidency. President Obama was the first Democrat to win Virginia in 2008 since Lyndon Johnson.
Protesters at today’s rally spoke out against legislation by Virginia Del. Mark Cole. His bill, HB9, provides that voters unable to present “an approved form of ID” at the polls must vote using a provisional ballot. A second piece of legislation by Del. Danny Marshall’s (HB569), would require proof of citizenship as a condition for registering to vote in Virginia. Former NAACP Chief Rev. Benjamin Chavis also attended the rally this morning.
The Congressional Black Caucus will launch a 10 city “voter protection” tour in early March. Read more on that here.
