Why are the laws “gathering momentum”?  Two words – Eric Holder.  From the American Thinker:

“The Department of Justice has exclusively chosen laws it wants to uphold, yet it looks the other way on laws that need to be enforced. Because Eric Holder’s Justice Department refuses to protect the integrity of the election process, the states must step in and fulfill that responsibility. American Thinker interviewed experts to get their opinion on how to make sure voters are not disenfranchised. . . .

Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-CA) is frustrated over the issue of voter registration since ‘in many states there are registration people that are being paid for every person that they register to vote. There is a financial incentive to have non-citizens register to vote. . . .  Someone illegally voting could cancel out your vote. In Holder’s Justice Department, the integrity of the electoral process doesn’t matter.’

. . .

Adams believes that this Justice Department is openly hostile toward bringing cases against minorities who violate the law. Kobach is outraged that the ‘DOJ does not go after voter intimidation and does not care to stop voter fraud.’

 . . .
Engelbrecht believes that ‘Eric Holder has a different set of lenses that he looks through, and unfortunately, these lenses are tainted with a radical agenda. He looks at a certain group of Americans as the perpetual victim. Holder is following through on his promise that no election law will be put in place unless it heavily favors minorities.’  Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) cannot understand how Holder and his Justice Department would not support a law that ‘only represses fraudulent votes.’