Civil rights groups filed a slew of lawsuits in Texas Tuesday, kicking off what is expected to be an extensive legal battle mere hours after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed controversial voting restrictions into law.
Why it matters: Critics have denounced the new law as a dangerous voter suppression bill that will disproportionately impact communities of color. The bill drove Texas House Democrats to flee the state in protest, but after enough returned to resume quorum, the legislation went to Abbott's desk.
Driving the news: The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a federal lawsuit shortly after the bill was signed, arguing it "intentionally targets and burdens methods and means of voting used by voters of color."
- It bans 24-hour and drive-through voting, and establishes more stringent voter ID requirements for mail-in voting, among other provisions.
Latino civil rights groups LULAC and Voto Latino also sued in a joint lawsuit with Texas American Federation of Teachers and the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, alleging that the new measures "impose an undue burden on the right to vote."
- The groups say the law violates the law by "purposely" restricting access for voters of color, disabled voters and people with limited English proficiency.
Worth noting: The law already faced legal challenges prior to signage. ...
- The American Civil Liberties Union brought its own lawsuit last week after Republican lawmakers passed the bill, calling it "extremist" and "anti-voter."
- AAPI civil rights group OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates' Houston chapter, the League of Women Voters of Texas and others filed a