The Texas vote law struck down as illegal by a federal appeals court is gone for now, but that may not last. The law keeps blacks and HIspanics from exercising their right to vote, according to the court. The ruling mean ID laws will now be relaxed statewide.
This is only one of several voting-rights lawsuits scattered around the country. A federal judge is considering a case in North Carolina currently, according to the Wall Street Journal. The now-moot Texas law, signed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) is one of the restricted voting codes in the U.S. The law required that voters present a photo ID issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety. This would include a driver's license, a personal identification card, a concealed-carry permit, a U.S. passport, a military ID card or a U.S. citizenship certificate.
"We are greatly encouraged by today's decision," said Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas State Conference of NAACP branches, one of the groups that filed suit to oppose the voter ID laws.
The ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says the Texas voter law is "discriminatory" and violates the federal Voting Rights Act, according to MSN. The Justice Department said that the law in Texas could keep up to 600,000 people from voting in the state.
"We are pleased that the Court of Appeals agreed unanimously with the district court that the Texas statute violates Section 2 f the Voting Rights Act," U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.
In court, few rulings are final. This case will go back to the U.S. District Court, which will make its own ruling about the intentions of the voter ID laws.
"Texas will continue to fight for its voter ID requirement to ensure the integrity of elections," Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said, according to Yahoo! News.
