COMMENTARY -- The United States Supreme Court guaranteed another inflammatory legislative session when it ruled last week that it was constitutional for states to pass laws requiring a picture ID to vote.

Nevertheless, the court added to the confusion because it could not reach a single majority opinion. Instead, the six judges who agreed on the principle broke into two separate and conflicting camps.

Three of the six agreed that voter IDs fix no demonstrable problem. After all, supporters have little evidence of any voter impersonation. It is hard for many Americans to remember that as recently as 1963, Texas and other states methodically imposed poll taxes, literacy tests and other impediments to keep minorities from voting.

In effect, Texas told minorities, prove to us you are entitled to vote.

The Voting Rights Act flipped that by saying the presumption is with the voter and the state must establish why the individual can not vote.

Whatever the philosophical disputes behind a voter ID law, virtually all agree that it will reduce Democratic participation more than Republican.

Not because of voter fraud, but because some portion of the poor, the elderly and college-students will not have up to date photo IDs with current addresses.

Should Tom Craddick remain speaker, the House will pass a voter ID bill just as it did last session. If Lt. Governor David Dewhurst plays by the letter and the spirit of Senate rules, the bill will never make it to the floor.

There are enough Democrats to prevent a voter ID bill from being taken up. Last session, the lieutenant governor played games, waiting until two Democrats were off the floor before getting Senate permission to bring up the bill.

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	Voter ID law A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court guarantees passions will run high.

The move so inflamed Democrats that had been his allies that Dewhurst had to back down.

Nevertheless, the next day Dewhurst's office released an official letter accusing Democratic senators of being un-American because they disagreed with him. While Dewhurst said the letter's release was a mistake, it was so over the top that angry senators of both parties caucused and agreed to rein in the Lt. Governor.

He was all but taken out of the chair for the remainder of the session while lawmakers themselves presided over the Senate for most of the last two weeks. This is a high stakes passion play teed up for next session.

Stay tuned.

That's what's on the agenda. I'm Harvey Kronberg and you can find me at quorumreport.