Civil Rights News: Justice Department Blocks Texas’ Voter ID Law; New Coverage to Begin for Women’s Health Services under Obama Law; New Federal Report Blasts Bank Managers for Foreclosures

Compiled by Wally McElwain, a Spring 2012 intern at The Leadership Conference Education Fund

Justice Depart. Blocks Texas on Voter ID for Voting
Charlie Savage
New York Times

On Monday, the Department of Justice blocked a Texas law that would have required all voters to present a current, valid government-issued photo identification card to an election official before their ballot could be cast. The Justice Department cited the disparity between White and Latino voters who possess an acceptable form of identification. Two studies show that Latino voters are anywhere from 46.5 percent to 120 percent more likely not to possess a photo ID card. Texas Governor Rick Perry has appealed the ruling.

Health-care Law Will Prompt Changes in 2012, Unless the Supreme Court Intervenes
Michelle Andrews
Washington Post

The Obama administration has made health care reform a priority, and the new measures will begin to be implemented in 2012. Women around the country will benefit from new requirements on basic women’s-health services, including screening for gestational diabetes, HPV testing, counseling for sexually transmitted infections, counseling and screening for HIV, and screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence. Under the new law, all consumers will benefit from rebates, decreasing prescription drug costs, and plan information becoming more understandable and concise.

Bank Officials Cited in Churn of Foreclosures
Nelson D. Schwartz and J.B. Silver-Greenberg
New York Times

The inspector general of the Department of Housing and Urban Development recently released a report citing five banks — Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally — for illegal foreclosure practices. Bank managers at the five major banks instructed their employees to adopt make-believe titles in order to give them the authority to sign affidavits, which greatly sped up the foreclosure process. For example, the report cited an Ally Financial team leader who admitted to signing 10,000 affidavits in a single month without reviewing any of the documents or facts about the foreclosure. Besides its shocking content, the report is an important step in holding more senior managers accountable.