DMV adding to confusion over Voter ID

The can of worms that accompanied Wisconsin’s adoption of a Voter ID law is starting to spill over. Wisconsin lawmakers approved the law in 2011, and ever since we have seen nothing but confusion. The back and forth has largely played out in the courts, with a series of ongoing legal appeals. As of this moment, the law says voters must show an acceptable form of identification in order to cast a ballot. A judge ruled Wisconsin must work to make it easier for those seeking an ID to vote to get one. But now the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles wants to add to the confusion over voter ID. The DMV is asking Governor Walker to allow them to no longer provide free photo ID’s unless they are stamped “For Voting Purposes Only.” It seems that when the state started providing free ID cards in compliance with the law, many people who wanted a new ID just got the free one, and stopped paying the $28 fee that was charged to people who wanted an ID for purposes other than voting. That has caused the DMV’s budget to take a hit. Printing two sets of ID’s, along with driver’s licenses, only further adds to the confusion. And why should we balance the DMV’s budget on the backs of the elderly and low income and others who don’t have a driver’s license. It seems if approved, the poor who don’t have $28 would be the ones most hurt. But aren’t those the people our government should be trying to help?