Yep, Att. Gen. Holder called Texas voter ID laws "poll taxes" last month- Law was struck down today

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July 10: Attorney General Eric Holder is welcomed at the NAACP annual convention in Houston. (AP)

Attorney General Eric Holder deviated from his prepared remarks during a speech before the NAACP and called voter ID laws “poll taxes.”

“Under the proposed law, concealed handgun licenses would be acceptable forms of photo ID, but student IDs would not,” Holder said, referring specifically to the voter ID law passed in Texas. “Many of those without IDs would have to travel great distances to get them, and some would struggle to pay for the documents they might need to obtain them. We call those poll taxes.”

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/eric_holder_calls_voter_id_poll_taxes.php

from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/30/politics/texas-voter-id-law/index.html

Federal court strikes down Texas voter ID law

____ Attorney General Eric Holder denied the pre-clearance of the measure in March, concluding that Texas failed to show the law will not have "the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race."

. . . Although the law provides for approved voter registration certificates with no photo as acceptable for voting in certain circumstances, the court said the law imposes "strict unforgiving burdens on the poor." The court noted the requirements will fall heavily on African-Americans and Hispanics, who make up a disproportionate percentage of the poor in Texas.

Holder praised the court's decision Thursday.

"Under the proposed law, many of those without the required voter identification would be forced to travel great distances to get one -- and some would have to pay for the documents they might need to do so," said a statement from the attorney general.

read: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/30/politics/texas-voter-id-law/index.html

[elleng]

1. This is good news. Now on to OH and PA,

which unfortunately are not covered by same voting mandates as Texas.

[flamingdem]

3. OH is critical nt

[ananda]

2. Hurray!

nt

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4. Attorney General Eric Holder issued this statement

Attorney General Eric Holder just issued this statement on a federal court's decision to block Texas voter ID law:

“The court’s decision today and the decision earlier this week on the Texas redistricting plans not only reaffirm - but help protect - the vital role the Voting Rights Act plays in our society to ensure that every American has the right to vote and to have that vote counted.

“The Department of Justice opposed preclearance of the Texas voter ID law because of the harm it would cause minority voters across the state of Texas. Under the proposed law, many of those without the required voter identification would be forced to travel great distances to get one – and some would have to pay for the documents they might need to do so. The legislature rejected reasonable efforts to mitigate these burdens. We are pleased with the court's decision to deny preclearance because of these racially discriminatory effects.

“The Justice Department’s efforts to uphold and enforce voting rights will remain aggressive and even-handed. When a jurisdiction meets its burden of proving that a proposed voting change would not have a racially discriminatory purpose or effect, the Department will not oppose that change -- when a jurisdiction fails to meet that burden, we will object.”


http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/voter_id_texas_ruling.php

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5. kick

[HopeHoops]

6. PA Next, please.

[horseshoecrab]

7. kick! n/t