Texas Not Impressed With Holder's Persistent Harassment
By Kemberlee Kaye on July 26, 2013
I'm not sure what it is about this administration, but they're simply not satisfied with the existing federal construct. Undeterred by the recent Supreme Court ruling which found part of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, Holder's DOJ announced yesterday that Texas is back in the crosshairs.
Supreme Court ruling be damned, Holder told a crowd at the National Urban League of Philadelphia, "the Justice Department will ask a federal court in Texas to subject the State of Texas to a preclearance regime similar to the one required by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act." Section 5 of course is the article the Supreme Court struck down in a 5-4 decision last month. But why stop there? Why not accuse Texas of blatant racism?
This request to “bail in” the state – and require it to obtain “pre-approval” from either the Department or a federal court before implementing future voting changes – is available under the Voting Rights Act when intentional voting discrimination is found. Based on the evidence of intentional racial discrimination that was presented last year in the redistricting case, Texas v. Holder – as well as the history of pervasive voting-related discrimination against racial minorities that the Supreme Court itself has recognized – we believe that the State of Texas should be required to go through a preclearance process whenever it changes its voting laws and practices.
Texas lawmakers weren't impressed by Holder's racist accusations and baseless supposition that Texas, home to two of the most international cities in the country, and one of five states to have a minority majority, has not evolved beyond the Civil Rights movement.
"Holder's refusal to accept the judgment of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding preclearance continues the Department's longstanding pattern of refusing to follow the law, " said Senator Ted Cruz.
Senator John Cornyn alleged political motivation in a statement his office released saying:
By first going around the voters and now the Supreme Court, Attorney General Holder and President Obama’s intentions are readily transparent. This decision has nothing to do with protecting voting rights and everything to do with advancing a partisan political agenda. Texans should not – and will not – stand for the continued bullying of our state by the Obama Administration.
Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott explained that Holder is attempting to invoke section 3 of the Voting Rights Act which includes a "bail-in" provision. Section 3 was not tossed out in the latest Supreme Court ruling. For this to work, there must be a ruling in which Texas is found to be in violation of either the 13, 14, or 15th amendment. But this gets better. Holder is pleading his case based on Texas laws that, wait for it... are no longer in existence.
"The Obama administration is trying to intervene in our elections in a way that actually harms minorities. What we've seen them do and the Democrats, especially in San Antonio, is try to carve out Hispanics who are Republican," Abbott said. While the administration can claim this whole ordeal is about discrimination, as Abbott points out, it's nothing more than political theatre. "The Obama Administration has joined in this lawsuit with the Texas Democrat party and they're doing so in a way in which they hope to have an affect on the 2014 elections," Abbott explained.
One way or another, Holder will learn that you just don't mess with Texas.
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