Attorney General Holder Calls Voter ID Laws 'Poll Taxes'

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder spoke today to members of the NAACP at a conference in Houston.

He talked about his appreciation of the organization and his concerns about the opportunities for young people in some urban areas.

Holder also talked about the Texas Voter ID bill and why he believes it would be harmful to minority voters.

“Under the proposed law, concealed handgun licenses would be acceptable forms of photo ID but student IDs would not," Holder says. "Many of those without IDs would have to travel great distances to get them and some would struggle to pay for the documents they might need to obtain them. We call those poll taxes."

A three-judge panel is hearing testimony on the Voter ID bill.

They will decide whether the bill violates the federal Voting Rights Act.