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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 31, 2016 09:52 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Vincent J. Hughes |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Resolution urging Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act |
| In the near future I plan on introducing a resolution urging Congress to reauthorize key portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After peaceful protestors were brutally attacked at horrific events of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama, Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. Since enactment, the VRA has been repeatedly reauthorized, most recently in 2006. The VRA required seven states that had a history of discrimination to submit changes to election policies or procedures to the United States Attorney General or the United States District Court. These authorities must sign off any alternations can become law. Under the formula contain in the VRA, twelve states required some sort of sign off on changes to their election policies or procedures. From 1999 to 2005, more than 250 discriminatory voting changes were either withdrawn or altered as a result of federal review. In 2012 alone, the Department of Justice blocked seventeen discriminatory changes to election laws. The United States Supreme Court in Shelby County v Holder narrowly ruled the formula in Section 4(b) of the VRA was unconstitutional. As a result, those enumerated states and political subdivisions no longer need review before enacting changes to their election policies or procedures. At a time when discrimination still exists we should be adding protections not removing them. Please join me in urging Congress to reinstate the provisions of the voting rights act. Please contact Michael Deery in my office at 787-7112 if you have any questions. |
Introduced as SR415