Haley, GOP leaders challenge decision on voter ID law

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - GOP leaders began the new legislative session Tuesday by challenging the Department of Justice's decision to reject South Carolina's new voter ID law.

"Everyone implies that this is voter suppression," said Gov. Nikki Haley. "There is nothing. We want more than to make sure everyone in the state of South Carolina has the right to vote."

The law would require voters to show a government-issued ID before they can be allowed to vote.

The Justice Department sees the law as discriminatory. The law failed a federal pre-clearance based on the 1965 Voting Rights Act that measures its impact on minority political power.

Attorney General Alan Wilson is now planning on challenging the Justice Department's decision in court.

"We intend to file a suit with the Department of Justice against the Department of Justice in the DC district court within the next week or two. We don't have the date specific yet," said Wilson.

Rep. Todd Rutherford stepped in to voice his opinion just moments after the GOP leaders finished speaking.

"This is not an ID law as you read it," said Rutherford. "This is a law that simply suppresses the vote. It is their intent and they have accomplished it except the federal government stepped in and stopped them from doing it."@

Other opponents of the law like Sen. Brad Hutto says it was created with the intention of impacting the 2012 election.

"They saw that the 2008 election has the highest number of participation of young people, African-Americans, Latinos -- they didn't like it," said Hutto. "They didn't like it one bit and they are trying to suppress the vote and that's what this is about."

Haley said her administration organized a car pool to drive people to get their photo IDs, but only 30 people took them up on the offer.

Hutto called it a gimmick and says it doesn't address the problem of access that minorities, elderly, and low-income people often face when it comes to getting government-issued IDs.