Roll Call offers VRA Renewal Runs Into Delay (paid subscription required), which begins: “Although House GOP leaders had aimed to hold a vote on reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act before the Memorial Day recess, objections by members of the Georgia and Texas delegations to portions of the measure now threaten to hold up renewal of the landmark 1965 law.” According to the article, the dispute may be over how the bill is brought to the floor. Some members want the bill to be brought to the floor in regular order, which would allow debate and amendments, rather than through the “suspension calendar.”
Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee has this hearing underway on VRA renewal, the last hearing currently up on the committee’s calendar. [UPDATE: Maybe there won’t be any more Senate hearings. Sen. Leahy’s statement today ends: “I do regret that we have given short shrift to extension of Section 203 and the protection of language minorities. I wish we had moved ahead with witnesses on that matter this week and completed it on time. We may wish to supplement the record on that aspect of our bill before the Senate debate.”] Here is Nate Persily’s prepared testimony. I would be happy to post other testimony from witnesses that is sent to me.