Defeat of Indiana Voter ID is good news for Texas Democrats

[derby378]

The Indiana Court of Appeals today declared Indiana's voter ID law unconstitutional because it does not apply uniformly to all voters.

The three-judge panel unanimously held that the requirement that voters present government-issued photo identification at the polls runs afoul of the Indiana Constitution's "Equal Privileges and Immunities Clause," which provides: "The General Assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privileges or immunities which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens."

Two reasons were cited by the Court of Appeals: the law doesn't require absentee voters to provide an affidavit affirming their identity even while requiring photo identification for in-person voters; and the law exempts residents of state-licensed care facilities from the ID requirement if their facility happens to be a polling place.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090917/NEWS05/909170487/Court+knocks+out+state+voter+ID+law

If anyone has to ask what this has to do with Texas, here's a little refresher:

State House Democrats spent Memorial Day weekend killing legislation that called for more voter identification at the polls with a strategy that required five days of mundane questioning about hundreds of bills.

But the strategy to talk until the voter ID bill was defeated did not begin as well-organized as it would later appear. It caught many Democrats off-guard and took a number of turns that were not expected and were not visible to the public, according to interviews with nearly a dozen lawmakers. Most of them did not want to be quoted by name because they were discussing internal party matters.

Organizers of the slowdown expected it to last only a day or two. But they ran into stiff resistance from their Republican colleagues, who were unwilling to help Democrats return to the normal pace of business.

What resulted was a prolonged standoff that changed the course of numerous major bills during the last week of the legislative session, soured what had been a remarkably cooperative year in the House, exposed fractures among House Democrats and left Republicans more united than they had been in two years.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/05/31/0531voterid.html

With the legitimacy of Voter ID suffering a crucial blow today in Indiana, Texas Republicans now find themselves rallying around a castle made of sand - and, lest we forget, it's hurricane season.

:woohoo:

[sonias]

1. Absolutely a great ruling

The most interesting thing about this was that the Indiana constitution was stronger than the federal constitution on the issue of equal protection. In so many ways, the Texas constitution is also stronger on individual liberties than the Federal Constitution.

You know this won't stop the Rs though. Even though they've been up to bat 3 times on this issue - and struck out all 3 times.

Sonia

[ScutFarkus]

2. Help me out.

Refresh my memory: How does it help us to not require voters to prove their identities?

[sonias]

3. Ah now I understand you more

4th post and you're toeing the Republican party line.

Enjoy your short stay on DU. No point explaining it to you - you wouldn't understand.

Move along, nothing on DU would interest you anyway.

Sonia

[ScutFarkus]

4. What's wrong?

What's wrong with some independent thought and discussion, with a few questions thrown in to challenge our party line? I think that's what makes us better and stronger. I'm sorry if a thought-provoking question here or there means I don't belong.