Political leverage again threatens to trump good government in the final week of a legislative session.
"There's priorities on both sides of the aisle," Senate Majority Leader Ron Richard, R-Joplin, said last week as Friday's deadline approaches, "and if mine don't make it, nobody else's will either."
Spoken like a true majority leader.
Richard's priorities during the waning days include right to work and voter ID proposals.
The leverage includes extending a federal reimbursement allowance for the state's Medicaid program, which both Republican and Democrats agree needs to be done.
The allowance includes the taxes paid by hospitals, ambulances, nursing homes and other service providers. If the tax is not extended before its September expiration date, Missouri "s Medicaid program stands to lose more than $3.58 billion.
Each political party blames the other for the delay, but the looming deadline applies pressure to act this week or invite a costly special session.
Republican majorities have helped shepherd some quality legislation to Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's desk this session.
But using their leverage to insist on a photo ID for voters is troubling. Photo ID is among the worst ideas the GOP has embraced.
Their justification is a photo ID is needed to prevent voter fraud. We wholeheartedly support preventing voter fraud; we simply have seen scant evidence of voter fraud, particularly in Missouri.
Democrats contend the motivation for the measure is essentially to disenfranchise voters who traditionally support Democrats.
If that contention is false, Republicans must refute it - something they have not yet done to our satisfaction.
If the contention is true, it is unacceptable. Voters must not be shut out because they disagree with one political party or another; they deserve to be won over by the candidate and party that offers the best ideas.
We encourage lawmakers to carry the promises of good government and bipartisanship from previous campaign weeks to this week. Prioritize and pass the federal reimbursement allowance, then let the other measures stand or fall on their own merits.