Mo. House OKs candidate birth records requirement

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Birth records for presidential and vice presidential candidates would need to be publicly available for those appearing on Missouri ballots.

Political parties would be required to give the secretary of state's office proof of their candidates' identity and that they are natural born citizens of the U.S. Write-in presidential candidates also would need to provide documentation. The records would be open to the public.

Lawmakers endorsed the legislation Wednesday, and the measure needs another vote before moving to the Senate.

Sponsoring House member Lyle Rowland, a Republican from Cedarcreek, says the requirements are preventative and would give voters assurances that candidates are qualified.

Democratic critics said any concerns about a president's qualifications to hold office did not seem to arise until Barack Obama won election in 2008.