Senate Changes Bill

The Senate carved out an exception to a decades-old rule that requires a supermajority of senators — 21 of the 31 — to bring bills up for floor debate.The move is intended to ease the passage later in the session of a politically divisive voter ID bill.

The exception will allow a simple majority of 16 senators to start debate on that single issue only, which requires voters to show government-issued photo identification before casting ballots at the polls. The change was supported by 18 senators, all Republicans, and opposed by 12 Democrats and one Republican.