Jackson Free Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Senate on Tuesday approved $695,000 for the secretary of state to defend a proposed voter identification law, and the budget bill moves on to the House for more work.

The secretary of state's overall $13 million budget for fiscal 2014 was rejected last week, but several senators were out of the chamber at the time. During a second vote Tuesday when attendance was better, senators passed the measure, Senate Bill 2901.

Mississippi needs federal approval for any changes to election laws, to ensure that the changes don't dilute minority voting strength. If the Justice Department rejects the voter ID proposal, as many lawmakers expect, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann could ask federal judges to approve it.

Supporters of voter ID say it will help prevent people from voting under others' names, while critics say it could disproportionately hurt poor or older residents who are less likely to have a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification.

Part of Mississippi's proposal is to provide free ID to people who don't have one already.

Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, said the bill was a waste of money because the attorney general is handling voter ID submissions to the federal government.

Republican Hosemann told The Associated Press that most Mississippians support voter ID. He said senators voting against his budget were showing symbolic opposition.

In the November 2011 election, 62 percent of Mississippi voters approved a proposed constitutional amendment that says each voter must show some sort of photo identification before casting a ballot. In 2012, the Republican-led Legislature voted to put voter ID into law. But the mandates can't take effect without federal approval.

The secretary of state's budget is one of 108 bills that make up a proposed $5.5 billion budget for fiscal 2014, which begins July 1. Half the bills have been passed by the House and half by the Senate. The two chambers will exchange bills, and they have early April deadline to agree on a final budget to send to Republican Gov. Phil Bryant.