Judge blocks Texas voter ID law

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal judge, as she promised two days before, has filed a permanent injunction against enforcement of a tough Texas voter ID law.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos filed her one-paragraph order Saturday in Corpus Christi, likely paving the way for an appeal promised by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

The order was a formality as Gonzales Ramos had issued a 147-page opinion late Thursday night finding the voter ID law to be discriminatory and unconstitutional.

The ruling comes just weeks ahead of the November elections. It’s a defeat for Republican-backed photo ID measures that have swept across the U.S. in recent years. Most have been upheld in court.