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Related: About this forumFederal court blocks Texas voter ID law
Federal court blocks Texas voter ID law
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal court ruled on Tuesday that a controversial Texas voter identification law discriminates against black and Hispanic voters, effectively killing the law before it could take effect for the November 6 presidential election.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued the ruling. The state law, passed by the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature in 2011, required voters to present one of six forms of photo identification before casting ballots.
Way to go Obama DOJ!
BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)hobbit709
(41,694 posts)Melissa G
(10,170 posts)the crime was so obvious. Abbott want to waste even more money taking an appeal to SCOTUS. What a waste!
Hi, Hobbit
kjackson227
(2,166 posts)efhmc
(14,709 posts)They'll have to go to court to challenge the ruling and with the time requirements needed to educate voters etc, this would not be ready for this election.
I am sure they will be headed to the Supreme Court with this but I don't think they have the time to get it reversed and implemented by November.
Gothmog
(143,999 posts)Some of the news reports are getting the ruling on redistricting confused with voter ID. There has not been a ruling on the Texas voter id law yet. Here are some tweets from the guy who does the Texas Redistricting website.
Joe Cullar @joecullarAs a practical matter, if there is a not a ruling by Friday on the Texas voter id law, the State has admitted that it will not have time to implement SB14 for the November elections
@mcpli @scottbraddock Any idea why Reuters is reporting voter ID law blocked? Link: http://reut.rs/RkSyaW
4:53 PM - 28 Aug 12 · Details
28 Aug Michael Li Michael Li @mcpli
.@joecullar @scottbraddock - They got redistricting and voter ID mixed up.
You are right that the first story apparently got the redistricting court decision and voter ID confused, but somehow they got it right on the call.
The court today has rejected photo ID for Texas.
TexasTowelie
(111,288 posts)Wonderful news!
sonias
(18,063 posts)Federal court rejects Texas voter ID law as unfair to Hispanics, African-Americans
WASHINGTON A federal court has ruled against a Texas law that would require voters to present photo IDs to election officials before being allowed to cast ballots in November.
A three-judge panel in Washington ruled Thursday that the law imposes strict, unforgiving burdens on the poor and noted that racial minorities in Texas are more likely to live in poverty.
The ruling comes in the same week that South Carolinas strict photo ID law is on trial in front of another three-judge panel in the same federal courthouse. A court ruling in the South Carolina case is expected in time for the November election.
Again congratulations to the Obama DOJ for doing such a wonderful job protecting voter's rights!
sonias
(18,063 posts)D.C. Court Rejects Texas' Voter ID Law
Texas controversial voter ID bill was struck down again, this time by a three-judge panel in Washington D.C. that determined the bill would disenfranchise certain segments of the voting-age population.
(snip)
Opponents argue that the bill would adversely affect voters who dont have easy access to an ID, something the court agreed with in its ruling. Under Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act, the federal government must approve laws passed in states with a history of racial discrimination.
We find that Texas has failed to make this showingin fact, record evidence demonstrates that, if implemented, SB 14 will likely have a retrogressive effect, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia judges wrote in their opinion. Given this, we have no need to consider whether Texas has satisfied section 5s purpose element. Accordingly we deny the states request for a declaratory judgment.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said the state will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Texas you fail! Once again the Texas republicans get slapped for over reaching on their voter suppression legislation.