Contact:  Don Adams, 215.620.3055 

Tea Party Association Celebrates Passage of Voter ID Bill in PA;

Pushes for Similar Bill in Jersey

Philadelphia (March 8, 2012) -- After more than a year of lobbying, the Independence Hall Tea Party Association finally got its wish.

The Voter ID Bill, HB 934, officially passed both chambers of the PA Assembly as the Senate voted, yesterday, 26-23, to enact the legislation.

"We are  grateful to Representatives Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) and Steven Barrar (R-Delaware) for advancing the cause of voter integrity in the PA legislature," said Teri Adams, President of the Association. 

"Voter fraud, which this bill seeks to remedy, is a big problem in our state--especially in urban areas like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

"We can no longer tolerate imposters voting for dead people or fraudulent votes being cast by individuals claiming to live at non-existent residences," said Ms. Adams. 

"John Fund, formally of the Wall Street Journal, wrote a book extensively detailing voter fraud in the city of Philadelphia.   The problem has gone unaddressed for decades.

"In January, 2011, Association members met with Representative Steven Barrar (R-Delaware) to voice support for Voter ID even before the bill had been introduced in the PA House by Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler).  (Rep. Barrar co-sponsored the bill.) 

"In March, the Association provided testimony in favor of HB 934 to a House Panel on Voter ID chaired by Rep. Metcalfe," said Ms. Adams.

Brennan Center for Justice Report on Voter ID Hearing

"In addition, Association members spoke out on behalf of the bill to reporters and local talk show hosts, including WPHT's Dom Giordano.

"We also acknowledge the efforts of other PA Tea Party, Patriot, and

conservative groups who wholeheartedly supported the measure.

"Governor Tom Corbett is expected to sign HB 934 into law once the House votes to approve the amended version of the bill--something of a formality,"

said Ms. Adams.

Last summer, the Association recruited Burlington County legislators to introduce a similar Voter ID Bill in the state of New Jersey.  That bill is pending in the NJ Assembly.

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