Attorney for Native Americans challenging N.D. voter ID law says Texas ruling 'enhances our case'

BISMARCK — An attorney for Native Americans fighting recent changes to North Dakota's voter identification laws said Thursday a federal appeals court ruling this week declaring a similar Texas law to be discriminatory "certainly enhances our case."

Seven members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa filed a federal lawsuit in January against North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger, arguing that voter ID requirements passed by the state's Republican-controlled Legislature in 2013 and 2015 are unconstitutional and "disproportionately burden and disenfranchise" tribal members.

One of their attorneys, Tom Dickson of Bismarck, was encouraged by Wednesday's 9-6 ruling by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which found a Texas law requiring voters to show a government-issued ID is discriminatory and violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act.

The appeals court sent the case back to a district court to examine whether the law had a discriminatory purpose and asked the district court to come up with a short-term fix for the November election, Reuters reported — something the North Dakota plaintiffs also are seeking before November.

Read more: http://www.inforum.com/news/4078786-attorney-native-americans-challenging-nd-voter-id-law-says-texas-ruling-enhances-our