It's amazing what bills our legislators will introduce if a constituent only asks.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White made a statement so obvious last week we hope state legislators can forgive him.

Questioning a new state law that would allow IDs to be issued without pictures, White said, "How do you use this document as a form of identification? You match the name with the face. I don't see how that could take place without a picture."

That's a concept everyone ought to be able to understand, everyone that is except pandering members of the Illinois House and Senate. They passed and Gov. Pat Quinn recently signed legislation, House Bill 1484, which allows White to "provide by rule for the issuance of identification cards without photographs if the applicant has a bona fide objection to being photographed or to the display of his or her photograph."

The legislation passed the Illinois House by a 92-13 vote and the Senate 50-0.

Sponsored by East Central Illinois state Reps. Adam Brown and Chapin Rose, the bill was introduced to exempt the Amish from being required to be photographed if they wish to obtain a state identification card.

With all due respect to the Amish, this is the price of modernity. If they choose not to participate, that's fine. But if they want a state ID card, they have to follow the rules.

Of course, exceptions can always be made. But under rules prohibiting viewpoint discrimination, if the state does it for the Amish it has to do it for members of other religious groups.

Suppose a Muslim sought a similar exemption or asked that his wife be photographed wearing her burka shielding her face? Isn't the subjugation of women a tenet of extreme versions of that faith, and wouldn't the state be just as obliged to cooperate as it would be for the Amish?

This is not a big issue, but it is a bad idea. Secretary of State White is correct, and the General Assembly and Gov. Quinn are not. If members of any religious group are concerned about being photographed, they can find other forms of identification besides state IDs.