Texas’ push for a tough new voter ID law puts it at the center of a
high-stakes battle over a civil rights landmark, just as the Supreme
Court grows more receptive to ending decades of automatic federal
oversight of local election rules.The last time the court looked at the Voting Rights Act — three years ago, in a case involving an Austin utility district — only one justice, conservative Clarence Thomas,
was ready to toss it out as unconstitutional. But all nine agreed that
“serious constitutional questions” hang over the landmark 1965 law,
which singles out nine states and parts of seven others for special
scrutiny based on their history of discriminating against minorities.

“Even the more liberal justices agreed that there were serious questions,” said Richard Pildes, a professor at New York University School
of Law who has written extensively about the election law. “Given the
marker they laid down in that earlier case, it’s hard to imagine the
court not returning to the issue.”

full story here.

Plaintiff has provided initial disclosures naming 49 potential witnesses.  From the Pacific Daily News:

“Gov. Eddie Calvo, former Gov. Carl Gutierrez, former Attorney General Doug Moylan and a handful of sitting and former senators are named in the federal court documents as people who are “likely to have information relevant” to the case.

same fight, different state, to the link.

Under current law, military members serving overseas are limited to
federal issues on the FWAB, which is a ballot that can be downloaded
online by qualified registered voters and then mailed to county clerks.
Outman’s bill adds state and local races and ballot issues to the FWAB.

details at the link.

The controversial 2010 Supreme Court ruling is already bringing us more competitive campaigns, funnier ads and greater freedom of speech.  More competitive GOP presidential race, freeing interest groups from party dependency, guaranteed big laffs, good enough for the President, and shaking up local races.

Full story at Reason.com

Link to Fox Latino.

“Despite this, the Obama administration is hell-bent on making voter ID a major controversy leading into the 2012 election. After seeing his numbers soften among Hispanics who are dissatisfied with his leadership and the direction of the country, President Obama and Eric Holder are doing what the Left does best: manufacturing controversy and using a complicit media to make this an issue about race to demagogue Republicans and scare Hispanic voters.”

Add this to the list of headaches facing John Edwards, none bigger than the federal indictment where he faces up to 30 years in the federal pen if DOJ’s somewhat novel theory meets muster with a Judge and jury.  Full story.

Common Cause Colorado is opposing Secretary of State Gessler’s efforts to determine if illegal aliens are on the voter rolls.  Gessler merely asked for the cooperation of the Department of Homeland Security to idetify if non-citizens are on Colorado voter rolls.  Enter Common Cause, demanding the effort stop.

Apparently, legislators are just too busy to arrange a vote before the November elections.  A key lawmaker in Topeka appears to be blocking a vote on a
controversial Kansas voter I-D law. Secretary of State Kris Kobach has
been pushing to fast-track the voter I-D law in Kansas to get it in
place for the November elections.

“The Senate Ethics and Elections
Standing Committee will not be meeting again this year,” wrote State
Senator Terrie Huntington of Fairway.  Full story here.