[Vision2020] Supreme Court reaches decision on 1965 Voting Rights Act provision

Tom Hansen thansen at moscow.com
Tue Jun 25 07:30:13 PDT 2013


How soon sould we anticipate reinstitution of poll taxes and voting qualification tests?

Courtesy of CNN at:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/25/politics/scotus-voting-rights/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
  
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Supreme Court reaches decision on 1965 Voting Rights Act provision

Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has made a decision in a case examining whether a key enforcement provision of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act should be struck down.  Details of the ruling are expected shortly.

The case involves Section 5, which gives federal authorities open-ended oversight of states and localities with a history of voter discrimination. Any changes in voting laws and procedures in the covered areas -- which include all or parts of 16 states -- must be "pre-cleared" with Washington.

After the provision was reauthorized by Congress in 2006 for another 25 years, counties in Alabama and North Carolina filed suit, saying the monitoring was burdensome and unwarranted.

Civil rights groups say Section 5 has proved to be an important tool in protecting minority voters from local governments that would set unfair, shifting barriers to the polls. If it is ruled unconstitutional, they warn, the very power and effect of the entire Voting Rights Act would crumble.

But opponents of the provision counter that it should not be enforced in areas where it can be argued that racial discrimination no longer exists.

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Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"There's room at the top they are telling you still 
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill 
If you want to be like the folks on the hill."

- John Lennon
  
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