FORT WAYNE, IND. (WOWO) The SAVE Act returned to the political spotlight this morning with the urgency of a campaign-season talking point and the familiarity of a long-running Washington stalemate, as Indiana Senator Jim Banks joined Fort Wayne’s Morning News for a wide-ranging interview with host Kayla Blakeslee.
Banks, upbeat and unambiguous from the start, framed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act as both simple policy and common sense. The bill would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections—a proposal Banks described as “pretty simple” and “pretty straightforward,” especially in light of renewed attention after the president recently called for its immediate passage.
At its core, Banks argued, the SAVE Act is about trust in elections. “If you need an ID to buy a beer, or to see an R-rated movie, or to pick up tickets at an Indiana basketball game, or to go see a concert,” he said, “why wouldn’t you need to present an ID when you go vote, especially in a federal election when you’re voting for the President of the United States of America?”
The senator repeatedly emphasized that Indiana already operates under voter ID laws, positioning the state as proof of concept. “It’s the state law in Indiana. We have voter ID laws in Indiana,” Banks said. “We should pass it at the federal level.”