WHEREAS, It took less than five months for the historic piece
of legislation, introduced as S. 1564, to pass the Congress and
reach the President, the signing of which occurred during a
ceremony attended by Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil
rights leaders who strongly advocated for voting rights; and
WHEREAS, Once enacted, the legislation reinforced the right
of all Americans, particularly African Americans, to vote under
the guaranteed rights established by the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States by
prohibiting racial discrimination in voting; and
WHEREAS, The act regulates the administration of elections
and specifically prohibits state and local governments from
implementing laws that result in discrimination against racial
minorities; and
WHEREAS, The law banned literacy tests or other mechanisms
that may be used to disenfranchise minorities from voting and
provided for more Federal oversight; and
WHEREAS, The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been amended
several times over the last five decades to include additional
voting protections for disenfranchised groups such as non-
English speaking citizens; and
WHEREAS, The Voting Rights Act of 1965 resulted in the mass
enfranchisement of racial minorities in the United States, most
notably in the South, and gave all Americans the legal means to
challenge unfair and illegal voting restrictions; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth is committed to upholding laws and
voting rights of its citizenry regardless of race, color,
background or age; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the 50th anniversary of
the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and be it further
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