The Minnesota Supreme Court is moving quickly to hear the challenge to the photo ID constitutional amendment question.

Just last week, anti-amendment groups asked the court to address whether the question on the ballot gave short shrift. The challengers claim that if the amendment passed, it would "radically change" the way Minnesotans vote but the question to be on the November ballot does not "truthfully" tell voters of those changes.

The Supreme Court plans oral arguments on that challenge on July 17 at 1:30 p.m., giving the challengers 35 minutes to make their case and the state 25 minutes to counter.

The suit was brought against Secretary of State Mark Ritchie as "the proper respondent" and notes that he is responsible for the administration of the ballot question. Ritchie, a Democrat, is also an opponent to the photo ID proposal but is charged with defending it on the state's behalf.

"He's out touring the state stumping against photo ID," said Dan McGrath, executive director of the pro-amendment Minnesota Majority. McGrath said Ritchie has displayed a "blatant bias" that will interfere with his office's ability to defend the measure. Minnesota Majority may look to intervene in the case so it can have it's point of view aired as well.

If the court allows the ballot question to go forward, voters would be asked on their November ballots whether they want to amend the constitution "to require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote and to require the state to provide free identification to eligible voters" starting in 2013.

The opponents, which include the League of Women Voters Minnesota, Common Cause, Jewish Community Action and the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, argue that the body of the amendment is far beyond that. If it passes, it could, they say, potentially end same-day registration, limit absentee voting and require the state to adopt provisional voting. Voters will be told none of that when they see the question, they argue.

McGrath said the ballot language is perfectly clear.

"The heart and soul of the constitutional amendment is photographic identification," he said.