January 16, 2014
WASHINGTON—Today, Congressmen James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and John Conyers (D-MI), and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), introduced a bipartisan update to the Voting Rights Act. Michael Slater, executive director of voting rights group Project Vote, released the statement below in response:
“Today, members of Congress took an important first step in restoring the protections afforded by the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which was gutted by a majority of the Supreme Court last June. Project Vote is encouraged to see that a bipartisan group of House members has offered legislation to update the formula for preclearance, and to strengthen the other judicial remedies available to people who have been denied their right to vote.
Schemes to deny or dilute the right to vote on the basis of race are not historical anomalies—they happen today. In the wake of the Shelby County decision, states previously subject to federal oversight have been free to enact and implement racially discriminatory laws with impunity.
While not a perfect repair, we are hopeful that this legislation will begin the important process of restoring the vital, hard-fought protections of the Voting Rights Act. We look forward to working with Congress to improve this legislation and help ensure that no eligible American is denied the right to vote.”
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Contact: Michael McDunnah, 202-905-1397, mmcdunnah [at] projectvote.org