A federal court struck down as unconstitutional infringements of free speech two Texas state laws that forced voters to refrain from wearing clothing with political messages on them in or near polling places. According to Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), a national public interest law firm based in Sacramento, California, that represented plaintiff Jillian Ostrewich, the laws gave thousands of election workers across the state unlimited discretion to confront any voter wearing a tee shirt, hat, or button related to any past, present, or future candidate, political party, or ballot measure. “This is an important win for Texans’ free speech rights,” PLF attorney Wen Fa said. “The First Amendment protects an individual’s right to express beliefs, regardless of whether others agree with those beliefs. An individual’s right to self-expression does not end at the polling place.” The ruling by U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr., an Obama appointee, came Sept. …