Errington expresses apprehension about house bills 1264 and 1265

INDIANAPOLIS – On Jan. 10, the House Elections and Apportionment committee convened to discuss House Bills 1264 and 1265. The policies introduced in House Bill 1264 would require voters to provide proof of residency, allow the Social Security office to use publicly available voter information to maintain voter lists, confirm voter residency and verify citizenship. House Bill 1265 specifies procedures for matters related to elections, such as instituting ballot marking devices, detailing how and when public information can be given to campaigns and would make age verification and sorting out discrepancies with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) an annual procedure.

Please attribute the following statement to State Rep. Sue Errington (D - Muncie):

“Legislators and the public were given less than a day to review these bills and it certainly showed during committee. These issues require closer inspection before we can come to a consensus.”

“I am particularly concerned by House Bill 1264. During the committee hearing, State Rep. Pat Boy (D-Michigan City) inquired about the cost of instituting these initiatives. There was no answer. I am also concerned about the legality of the bill in relation to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Civil Rights Act.”

“These bills require time for a closer examination. From my perspective, it seems like instead of responding to particular issues, these bills are looking for problems to solve.”