LINCOLN- A trio of bills related to voter ID in Nebraska were heard on Wednesday in the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee, and the hearing was long and contentious, with testifiers packing both the main hearing room as well as an overflow room. The first bill up for discussion was Sen. Day's LB675, which would require the Secretary of State to dispatch mobile units to each Nebraska County several weeks ahead of Election Day to supply qualifying ID documents to all voters with disabilities or those that lack transportation.

The next two bills, LB228 and 230, introduced by Sen. Erdman, would require ballots to be cast in person and cease the use of mail-in ballots in Nebraska except for military personnel and nursing home residents. Erdman, during the hearing, also called for the criminalization of rule-breaking poll workers and wants to turn Election Day into a state holiday. Neither of the three bills considered on Wednesday would put in place a charge to get a state ID for voting purposes, and Erdman's LB228 alone is expected to cost the state more than $25 million in its first year if implemented. Sen. Day's LB675, around $11 million.

At the beginning of the seven-hour hearing, Sen. Tom Brewer told testifiers that their remarks will be considered alongside those heard by the committee a month during the hearing for Sen. Slama's LB535, a bill that would establish voter ID laws in Nebraska. "We will probably mix and match," said Brewer, "take parts and pieces as necessary."

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