Category Archives: Voting Rights Act
Overton HuffPo on Voting Rights Act bill
I expand on my thoughts from earlier today in my new piece on the front page of the Huffington Post, “A Bipartisan Voting Rights Act is Possible.” Some excerpts . . .
Conventional wisdom among some liberals, conservatives,… Continue reading
Initial Thoughts on the Proposed Amendments to the Voting Rights Act
I have now had a chance to review the text the Voting Rights Amendments Act of 2014 introduced today by Representatives Sensenbrenner and Conyers (with parallel legislation being introduced by Senator Leahy in the Senate). I believe parts of the… Continue reading
Read the Text of the Proposed VRA Amendments
What the New Voting Rights Act Bill Means
The proposed legislation (Berman summary here, bill text here) is just a first draft, but it shows that a bipartisan Voting Rights Act is possible. In a nutshell, here’s what it means . . . .
Recent Discrimination: … Continue reading
New Proposed VRA Would Subject to Preclearance GA, LA, MS [corrected], and TX with More Possibly to Come, and Make Bail In Much Easier
Ari Berman reports:
The Sensenbrenner-Conyers-Leahy bill strengthens the VRA in five distinct ways:
1: The legislation draws a new coverage formula for Section 4, thereby resurrecting Section 5. States with five violations of federal law to their voting changes… Continue reading
Bipartisan Voting Rights Act is Possible
I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to Rick’s blog, but I disagree with his skepticism about the Voting Rights Act update.
My take is that Republicans and Democrats can come together to update the Voting Rights Act. Rick and… Continue reading
Voting Rights Act Bill from Reps. Conyers and Sensenbrenner Apparently Getting Filed Today
Developing…
UPDATE:
Here’s a Roll Call report, which says parallel legislation is also coming to the Senate, but no details on what is in the bill.
I don’t expect whatever comes out to make it through the Republican House.
“Judge Reinstates Some Federal Oversight of Voting Practices for an Alabama City”
Adam Liptak for NYT: “A federal judge in Alabama on Monday reinstated federal oversight over the voting practices of a city there, in what election law specialists said was the first such move since the Supreme Court struck down part… Continue reading
New Investigation of DOJ Civil Rights Division Coming?
Ryan Reilly: “Omnibus requires #DOJ IG to spend $1 million on independent review of Civil Rights Division. http://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20140113/CPRT-113-HPRT-RU00-h3547-hamdt2samdt_xml.pdf …“
“NAACP Expands Election Law Challenge; Lawsuit now includes Hispanics, end of early registration”
“N.C. wants voting law emails kept secret”
MSNBC: “North Carolina is asking a federal judge to keep secret Republican state lawmakers’ communications as they pushed through the nation’s most restrictive voting law last summer.”
As I’ve explained in this recent essay, the attempt to bail… Continue reading
“Palmdale appeals court decision, says it won’t hold new election”
LA Times:
Palmdale officials this week appealed a trial judge’s ruling that their at-large elections violate the California Voting Rights Act and said they will not hold new balloting in June.
Last month, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark… Continue reading
“Record Could Hinder Confirmation Of Civil Rights Nominee”
Carrie Johnson on the Debo Adegbile nomination.