title:  Federal Court Strikes Down Racist Texas Voter ID Law
text: Just in time for the election! The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit based in New Orleans found what Democrats have known for months: Texas  voter ID law, the strictest in the country, violates the Voting Rights Act because it places an undue burden on minority voters in the state   more specifically black and Hispanic voters.When the law was passed in 2011, over 600,000 Texas lacked the identification necessary to vote. As the Court correctly pointed out, the overwhelming majority of these voters were non-white.According to the New York Times:It was the fourth time in nearly four years that a federal court found that the Texas law discriminated against or disproportionately affected black and Hispanic voters.The ruling did not strike down the law in its entirety, leaving in place the heart of the law but requiring the state to accommodate those who will have a harder time obtaining the identification necessary.The Fifth Circuit also sent back to the lower courts a reconsideration as to whether or not the Texas legislature acted with intentional discrimination. Should it be discovered that it did, judicial oversight would be required if Texas sought to change their voting laws.It should also be noted that the Fifth Circuit is considered one of the most conservative Appeals courts in the country, with 12 out of 17 seats being occupied by Republican appointees, and four out of seven senior judges being Republican appointees.Of the 15 judges, senior and active, who heard the case, nine (including 5 Republican appointees) voted in favor of the people, not the racist government of Texas. When the majority of the majority opinion are Republican and tell you your state is racist, you might want to take a step back.The state of Texas has not confirmed if it will be appealing to the Supreme Court, which in April decided to leave the law intact but revert back to the lower courts, the Fifth Circuit. The Supreme Court did, however, issue a warning: should the law be muddied by the lower courts (yet again), the Supreme Court would not come to its aid.The Fifth Circuit s decision may be the final nail in the coffin to a shameful, racist, hateful law that had one purpose: purge as many blacks and Hispanics off the voter rolls as possible.Once again, voting rights have been protected. Will Republicans learn from it? Not at all. But are Republicans now weakened heading into the general election? Absolutely.Over 600,000 people were given back their rights, now they need to exercise them in November.Featured image via Stephanie Keith/Getty Images