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One of those was an early voting provision to allow voting up to 20 days before an election. Hewes cited potential monitoring problems associated with the stipulation.
Second was a provision to allow late voter registration up to three days before an election. Hewes alluded to difficulties in election officials' ability to validate new registrants as far as their eligibility to vote.
"I think that is fraught with the opportunity for voter fraud," he said.
A third provision would have allowed voting by felons.
"I'm not going to be for that in any way, shape or form," Hewes said.
Hewes went on to encourage citizens to support an initiative process that is in the works to get the measure on the ballot. He said the process is involved and difficult, but he was still supportive of voter ID.
"It's not intimidating and it's not a hard thing to do," Hewes said about having to show identification when voting.
During this year's regular legislative session, Hewes, along with state Sens. Joey Fillingane, Merle Flowers and Chris McDaniel, led a successful effort in the Senate Elections Committee to kill the voter ID bill. The move baffled and drew the ire of some other Republicans who had worked hard to craft a bill that, after years of no success, finally had a chance at passage.
After Wednesday's meeting, Hewes questioned whether voter ID opponents really wanted the measure passed. He remained hopeful that a sole voter ID measure would eventually become law.
"It's easy for people to understand and vote for something that is straightforward," Hewes said.
Voter ID was one of several topics the 17-year-veteran lawmaker touched on during his address. During his time in the Legislature, whether lawmakers were Republicans or Democrats, Hewes said the tone has been conservative.
"That is starting to change, and change in a significant way," Hewes said.
Hewes indicated that change is being driven by the budget debate and lawmaker differences over how to address it. He pointed out that April's tax collections were $89 million down.
"We've got some hard decisions looking forward," Hewes said.
Hewes said funds from the federal stimulus package will help, but some projections still have the state $90 to $180 million short.
"We're still in a world of hurt, but I can't imagine where we'd be without that money," Hewes said about the federal appropriations.
Recalling a regular session debate, the lawmaker acknowledged that some of the stimulus funds were rejected by the state. The reason, he said, is that those monies come with strings attached.
"Some we can abide. Some we cannot," he said.
Rejected stimulus funding included those for unemployment benefits.
Hewes said requirements would have extended jobless benefits to part-time workers, who currently are not covered by state laws. However, the extension would have ended after two years and left businesses having to pay $16 million to continue the coverage.
Hewes discussed recent tax-raising efforts undertaken by the Legislature. Among them was the cigarette tax increase, with part of the expected revenue designated for car tag cost relief, and the ongoing debate over the "hospital tax" as part of an effort to fund Medicaid.
Hewes, though, said budget issues are not going away and will have to be dealt with by lawmakers.
"There are some realities we have to deal with," the senator said.
