In the runup to his campaign for governor, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said he considered suing the Obama administration?a big part of his job. Now the Obama administration is turning the tables ? or at least going to court to blunt an effort by Abbott to maintain congressional and legislative lines as drawn by the Republican Legislature. A federal appeals court panel has ruled that the districts deliberately discriminate against Hispanics. The case is in litigation. But in the process, Abbott has declared a recent Supreme Court decision striking down a portion of the Voting Rights Act means Texas doesn?t need federal approval anymore to change its election laws. ?He has announced the state?s current districts should stand and that a photo-ID requirement for voters, which critics say discriminates against minorities, will now be in effect in Texas elections.
Abbott pledges to fight Obama on voting rights challenge (AP)
Attorney General Eric Holder announced today the Justice Department is going to federal court in an attempt to require the state of Teas to continue getting approval before making changes to the state?s voting process. The move was a response to last month?s Supreme Court decision. Abbott responded to Holder?s announcement: ?I?ll fight Obama?s effort to control our elections.?
Abbott has made voter-ID an important part of his appeal to Republican voters. Several years ago, Abbott announced there was an ?epidemic? of voter fraud in Texas and he launched an investigation. But his investigation and subsequent prosecutions failed to confirm any such epidemic. Abbott found fewer than three dozen cases to prosecute ? all against Democrats, all but one against blacks or Hispanics. Of those, two-thirds were technical violations in which voters were eligible, votes were properly cast and no vote was changed. None of the cases would have been affected by the voter ID requirement. Abbott has defended his crackdown, saying voter fraud is a very real problem. The voter ID requirement is popular with Republican voters Abbott will need in next year?s governor?s race. And Holder?s action today will likely be a plus for Abbott in the GOP primary. At the same time, Holder?s action will highlight Texas? treatment of minority voting rights ? which would not be particularly helpful with a broader group of Texas voters in a general election.
ncaa final country music awards autism awareness angelman syndrome total recall troy tulowitzki katie couric good morning america
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন