Pennsylvania Lawmaker Talks Smack to Voters

The GOP sponsor of Pennsylvania’s controversial voter identification law says only “lazy” people would be disenfranchised by the requirement to show photo identification at the polls.

“As Mitt Romney said, 47 percent of the people that are living off the public dole, living off their neighbors’ hard work, and we have a lot of people out there that are too lazy to get up and get out there and get the ID they need,” said Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-PA). “If individuals are too lazy, the state can’t fix that.”

Metcalfe was responding to a decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to send the case back down to the trial court for “further review” rather than rule on its legality.

Opponents of the state’s law say the court’s decision only buys GOP officials more time to further disenfranchise as many voters as possible before Election Day.

“Seven weeks before an election, the voters are entitled to know the rules,” said Justice Debra Todd, one of two dissenters. “By remanding to the Commonwealth Court, at this late date, and at this most critical civic moment, in my view, this Court abdicates its duty to emphatically decide a legal controversy vitally important to the citizens of this Commonwealth. The eyes of the nation are upon us, and this Court has chosen to punt rather than to act. I will have no part of it.”

Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that could determine the outcome of the race between President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. In a blatant attempt to limit voter turnout and influence the election, GOP legislators have proposed voter suppression laws in 34 states.

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