Federal judge strikes down Texas voter ID laws

For the second time, a federal judge has ruled that Texas' 2011 voter ID laws were specifically designed to affect minorities, per the AP. Judge Nelva Gonzales had previously called the measures a "poll tax" against black and Hispanic voters in the state and reached the same conclusion two years after the case was kicked back to her by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The money quote: "This is some evidence of a pattern, unexplainable on grounds other than race, which emerges from the effect of the state action even when the governing legislation appears neutral on its face."

The Texas Tribune has a good roundup of the measures along with the state's defense that was posted last year. Voters must possess one of a few types of ID with very few exceptions in order to be able to vote — for example, college IDs are not allowed but concealed carry permits are accepted.