Tag Archives: Voting Rights Act

Trump’s Justice Department goes all in on voter ID

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Despicable, but what did you expect? Continuing a dramatic reversal on voting rights under President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice is asking a federal appeals court to allow Texas to enforce a photo voter identification law that a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice Department, lawsuit, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

State House map paused as well

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise, given the previous order. A lower court ruling that invalidated parts of the Texas House state map has been temporarily blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court. Responding swiftly to an appeal by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Congress, Election 2018, filing deadline, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, redistricting, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

SCOTUS puts a pause on the Congressional redistricting ruling

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, just a temporary one. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put on hold a lower court ruling that invalidated two of Texas’ 36 congressional districts. In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the high court indicated it wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Congress, Election 2018, filing deadline, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, redistricting, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Will we have maps in time for March primaries?

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. It’s up to the courts. State officials insisted Friday they expect to stop the court challenges on appeal, and reverse Texas’ losing streak on the voting-rights lawsuits, legal experts predicted Texas could end up back under federal supervisions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Congress, Election 2012, Election 2018, filing deadline, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, primaries, redistricting, SCOTUS, special session, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Texas appeals voter ID ruling

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

On to the next phase. As promised, Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed what he called an “outrageous” federal court decision tossing out the state’s new voter ID law. In a 25-page filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Court throws out State House map

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Once more, with feeling. Parts of the Texas House map must be redrawn ahead of the 2018 elections because lawmakers intentionally discriminated against minorities in crafting several legislative districts, federal judges ruled on Thursday. A three-judge panel in San Antonio … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Abel Herrero, Congress, Election 2016, Election 2018, Greg Abbott, HD103, HD104, HD105, HD32, HD34, HD54, HD55, HD90, HD93, Hugh Shine, Joe Straus, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Matt Krause, Rafael Anchia, Ramon Romero, redistricting, Robert Alonzo, Rodney Anderson, Scott Cosper, SCOTUS, Speaker's race, special session, Texas, The Lege, Todd Hunter, Voting Rights Act | 3 Comments

Voter ID law thrown out

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Fantastic. A federal judge has tossed out a new law softening Texas’ strict voter identification requirements. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos on Wednesday ruled that Senate Bill 5, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, doesn’t absolve Texas lawmakers … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, redistricting, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | 14 Comments

Fifth Circuit rules against Texas’ voter interpreter law

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas ran afoul of the Voting Rights Act by restricting the interpretation assistance English-limited voters may receive at the ballot box, a federal appeals court found. In an opinion issued Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged AALDEF, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, lawsuit, Texas, Voting Rights Act, Williamson County | Comments Off

Texas to appeal redistricting ruling

Posted on August 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. If Gov. Greg Abbott calls a second special legislative session this summer, it won’t be for redistricting. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton revealed Friday that Abbott won’t ask lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional map — found … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged CD27, CD35, Congress, Election 2018, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, redistricting, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Court invalidates CDs 27 and 35

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We are one step closer to having a new Congressional map. Federal judges have invalidated two Texas congressional districts, ruling that they must be fixed by either the Legislature or a federal court. In a unanimous decision Tuesday, a three-judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Blake Farenthold, CD23, CD27, CD35, Congress, Election 2018, lawsuit, Lloyd Doggett, Marc Veasey, redistricting, special session, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act, Will Hurd | 5 Comments

Still no word on what Pasadena will do with the redistricting appeal

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’re waiting. Because the ruling went against the city, Pasadena is required to pay legal costs to attorneys for that group, the Mexican American Legal Defense Education Fund. In addition, the city’s fees to its legal representatives at Bickerstaff, Heath, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged City Council, Cody Wheeler, Don Harrison, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Jeff Wagner, Johnny Isbell, lawsuit, MALDEF, Pasadena, redistricting, Sammy Casados, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

How the redistricting case could play out

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Michael Li games out how the Texas redistricting litigation may go from the anticipated court ruling to final resolution. So, in short, Texans could end up with a new set of maps (drawn by the Texas Legislature or drawn by … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, Legal matters | Tagged CD02, CD03, CD06, CD07, CD10, CD21, CD23, CD24, CD25, CD27, CD30, CD31, CD32, CD35, CD36, Congress, Election 2012, Election 2018, filing deadline, lawsuit, primaries, redistricting, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Plaintiffs again ask for voter ID law to be tossed

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Again I agree with them. Minority groups have asked a federal judge to scrap Texas’ voter identification law and place the state under the jurist’s supervision for at least a decade, according to court filings this week. Not only are … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Justice Department, lawsuit, Texas, Texas Association of Hispanic County Judges and County Commissioners, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Pasadena has a decision to make

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

To continue the redistricting appeal, or to drop it and accept the ruling? One factor to consider is the cost involved. Pasadena has already paid more than $2.5 million to its outside attorneys. But there’s a complication: Under federal law, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, City Council, Jeff Wagner, Johnny Isbell, lawsuit, MALDEF, Pasadena, redistricting, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Let a thousand hypothetical alternative Texas Congressional maps bloom

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Stephen Wolf of Daily Kos Elections takes a crack at drawing a remedial Congressional map for Texas. Just how effective is GOP gerrymandering in Texas, and what might a redrawn map look like in 2018 as a consequence of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged CD02, CD06, CD07, CD10, CD23, CD25, CD32, Congress, Election 2016, Election 2018, lawsuit, redistricting, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

The broader implications of the Pasadena voting rights lawsuit

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Buried in this Trib story about the ongoing saga of Pasadena’s voting rights lawsuit is this nugget about the state getting involved. The case could reverberate beyond Pasadena’s city limits. Legal experts contend that a decision by the 5th Circuit could guide other … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, City Council, Cody Wheeler, Election 2017, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Jeff Wagner, Johnny Isbell, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Pasadena, redistricting, single member districts, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Redistricting trial update: Invoking privilege

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting choice. Texas’ defense of its electoral maps suffered a setback Friday when a state witness couldn’t defend lawmakers’ intentions for much of his testimony. […] Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, was the chairman of the House Select Committee on … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Congress, Drew Darby, Election 2014, Election 2016, Election 2018, lawsuit, MALDEF, Marc Veasey, redistricting, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act, Will Hurd | 1 Comment

Redistricting update: It’s all about the emails

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Two days into the trial, and there’s more drama. Plaintiffs challenging Texas’ 2013 redistricting maps Tuesday accused the state of improperly delaying the release of thousands of pages of documents from them, including 113 documents that state lawyers refuse to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Congress, Election 2018, lawsuit, redistricting, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Redistricting trial week begins

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This will be the main event of the week. Eight months ahead of the 2018 primaries, Texas and its legal foes on Monday will kick off a week-long trial that could shake up races across the state. The state and … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Brennan Center, Congress, Election 2018, lawsuit, LULAC, MALC, Marc Veasey, NAACP, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, Trey Martinez-Fischer, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Next round of voter ID briefs ordered

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Moving right along: With the next election season looming, a federal judge has set a fast-paced schedule for determining whether Texas should be penalized for a voter ID law found to have been written by Republicans to intentionally discriminate against minority … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Election 2017, Election 2018, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Marc Veasey, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

No partisan gerrymandering claims (yet) in Texas

Posted on June 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Redistricting: The three-judge panel in the Texas redistricting case has issued an order striking the expert report offered by the Texas Democratic Party in connection with its partisan gerrymandering claim. However, the court said that it would allow … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Congress, Election 2018, lawsuit, North Carolina, redistricting, SCOTUS, TDP, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act, Wisconsin | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit to hear AALDEF lawsuit appeal

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This happens today. Amid last-minute efforts to overhaul the state’s voter identification law in light of an ongoing legal fight, the Texas Legislature gaveled out without addressing another embattled election law that’s now moving forward in federal court. The U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Election 2016, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, lawsuit, Organization of Chinese Americans-Greater Houston, Ramon Romero, Sylvia Garcia, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act, Williamson County | Comments Off

Voter ID plaintiffs ask court to void the law

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

As well they should. Lawyers for minority voters and politicians asked a federal judge Wednesday to void the Texas voter ID law, saying it is the next logical step for a statute found to be discriminatory. The lawyers also said … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Election 2016, Election 2018, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Voter ID 2.0 gets final passage

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, this will turn out to have been a waste of time. The Texas House and Senate have approved a deal to relax the state’s voter identification requirements, meaning the closely watched legislation now only awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s approval. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Election 2016, Joan Huffman, Justin Rodriguez, lawsuit, Secretary of State, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

No special session for redistricting

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Buried in my Wednesday post about the SCOTUS ruling that declared North Carolina’s Congressional map to be an illegal gerrymander was a note that the court in the Texas redistricting case asked the state to consider a special session to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Bill Flores, Cindy Burkett, Congress, Election 2018, Election 2020, Eric Johnson, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, North Carolina, Rafael Anchia, Randy Weber, redistricting, SCOTUS, special session, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

The SCOTUS ruling on North Carolina’s gerrymandering could affect Texas

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is potentially a very big deal. In striking down North Carolina’s congressional district map, the Supreme Court sent Texas a firm warning Monday about how the state’s case may fare if it reaches that stage. The 5-3 North Carolina … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Congress, Election 2018, lawsuit, North Carolina, redistricting, SCOTUS, Texas, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Bill to ban straight-ticket voting advances in the Senate

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This could happen. A Texas Senate panel approved legislation Thursday that would end straight-ticket voting in all elections. The Senate Committee on Business & Commerce voted 7-0 to send House Bill 25 for potential consideration by the full chamber. Two members, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Harold Dutton, Kelly Hancock, lawsuit, Ron Reynolds, Ron Simmons, straight ticket voting, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | 6 Comments

Who’s your lawyer?

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey has a simple question. Do you remember the name of the lawyer who advised the Texas House and Senate when they wrote the 2011 voter ID bill? That’s the law a federal judge in Corpus Christi found to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, redistricting, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Justice Department will send election monitors to Pasadena

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. The U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring the Pasadena city elections as the suburb faces mounting federal scrutiny in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling that the city intentionally violated the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Hispanics. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged City Council, Election 2017, Gloria Gallegos, Justice Department, MALDEF, Mayor, Pasadena, Pat Van Houte, Texas, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Trib overview of the Pasadena elections

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. When voters head to the polls here Saturday, their city council and mayoral picks could have repercussions well beyond this working-class Houston suburb. It will be the first election since a federal judge struck down the city’s 2013 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged Battleground Texas, City Council, Election 2017, Felipe Villareal, Johnny Isbell, lawsuit, Mayor, Pasadena, redistricting, Steve Halvorson, Texas, turnout, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Court denies motion for appeals in redistricting case and sets trial date

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We are moving along in this process after such a long long looooooooooooooooong wait to get here. A three-judge panel on Monday denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to appeal a March ruling that said the Legislature intentionally discriminated … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Congress, Election 2018, HD90, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, MALC, redistricting, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Two more redistricting updates

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From KUT, will we have a new Congressional map for next year? [Gerry Hebert, one of the plaintiff attorneys], says he’s hopeful there won’t be yet another election with the old maps. “The timing of the court’s decision is absolutely … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Congress, Dan Patrick, Election 2018, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, filing deadline, MALC, Rafael Anchia, redistricting, Texas, The Lege, Trey Martinez-Fischer, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

ADA voting rights lawsuit update

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A federal judge in Houston put Harris County on notice Friday that the scope of accessibility violations at local polling places could be so vast that a special master may be needed to sort them out. U.S. District Judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Americans with Disabilities Act, Harris County, Justice Department, lawsuit, Lex Frieden, Stan Stanart, Texas, Toby Cole, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Legislative maps found to have discriminatory intent

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Texas lawmakers intentionally diluted the political clout of minority voters in drawing the state’s House districts, a panel of federal judges ruled Thursday. In a long-awaited ruling, the San Antonio-based judges found that lawmakers in 2011 either violated the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Election 2008, Election 2012, Election 2014, Election 2016, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Garnet Coleman, MALC, redistricting, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

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