The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned a lower court on Friday to allow a Texas voter ID law to remain in place in a case that could be a major breakthrough for conservative anti-voter fraud efforts.
The Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a pleading Wednesday saying the judge should take no more action in the voter ID lawsuit against Texas because the State’s new law “eradicates any discriminatory effect or intent” of the prior law. Moreover, the new law is “constitutionally and legally valid.”
An Obama nominee presiding over the photo voter ID lawsuit issued an order on Monday finding that the State of Texas did not meet its burden to show that the law was not passed with a discriminatory purpose in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
The Associated Press is reporting that the Trump Administration will be ending the federal government’s opposition to Texas’ photo voter identification law.
Leading Texas Republican lawmakers and officials publicly endorsed a bill that would make permanent a voter ID “safety net” allowing those without proper documentation to cast a regular ballot if they sign an affidavit.
A federal magistrate delayed the next hearing in the Texas voter ID case so that the Trump Administration has time to reassess.
The Obama appointee presiding over the Texas voter photo ID lawsuit ordered the State to toss some of its voter education materials because federal lawyers did not like the exact language in printed. Although lawyers for the State gave the DOJ and liberal voting rights groups a copy of the proposed language on August 11, they waited until less than 60 days before the November election to complain. This was after financial and other resources had been expended by the State.
WASHINGTON—On April 29, the Supreme Court issued an unusual order denying the relief requested by challengers to Texas’s voter-ID law, but also sending a signal to the appeals court currently examining the law, informing the lower court that it only has until July 20 to make a final decision, so that the Supreme Court would have time to act if necessary before the 2016 election.
Pro-school choice advocates revere it. Charter school critics fear it. It is known as the Parent Trigger Law and, on Wednesday, April 15, Senate Bill 14 (SB 14), passed overwhelmingly in the Texas State Senate chamber. The bill carried with a bipartisan vote of 25-6.
