Attorney General Ken Paxton today promised to appeal a federal court decision granting a permanent injunction against Texas’ voter ID law (Senate Bill 14). Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos also issued an injunction against Senate Bill 5, the revised voter ID law passed during the recent regular session of the Legislature to comply with the 5th Circuit’s prior ruling.
“Today’s ruling is outrageous. Senate Bill 5 was passed by the people’s representatives and includes all the changes to the Texas voter ID law requested by the 5th Circuit,” Attorney General Paxton said. “The U.S. Department of Justice is satisfied that the amended voter ID law has no discriminatory purpose or effect. Safeguarding the integrity of elections in Texas is essential to preserving our democracy. The 5th Circuit should reverse the entirety of the district court’s ruling.”
In a court filing earlier this month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) asked Judge Ramos to end efforts to overturn Senate Bill 5, noting that the law “eradicates any discriminatory effect or intent” and expands voter identification options when it takes effect January 1. Texas’ voter ID law “both guarantees to Texas voters the opportunity to cast an in-person ballot and protects the integrity of Texas’ elections,” the DOJ told Judge Ramos.
Last year, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the case to Judge Ramos to assess the impact of any future legislative action, like Senate Bill 5.