steveox
Well-Known Member
The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a section of the Voting Rights Act, weakening a tool the federal government has used for nearly five decades to block discriminatory voting laws.
In a five-to-four ruling, the court ruled that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. That section of the landmark 1965 law provides the formula for determining which states must have any changes to their voting laws pre-approved by the Justice Department's civil rights division or the D.C. federal court. Nine states are required to get pre-clearance, as are certain jurisdictions in seven other states.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority that Section 4 is unconstitutional because the standards by which states are judged are "based on decades-old data and eradicated practices."
"Nearly 50 years later, things have changed dramatically," Roberts wrote. "The tests and devices that blocked ballot access have been forbidden nationwide for over 40 years. Yet the Act has not eased [Section 5's] restrictions or narrowed the scope of [Section 4's] coverage formula along the way. Instead those extraordinary and unprecedented features have been reauthorized as if nothing has changed, and they have grown even stronger."
The court could have made a much broader ruling by striking down Section 5, which dictates that those states must get pre-clearance. However, the court decided that the Justice Department still has a role in overseeing voting laws.
Nevertheless, civil rights advocates called the ruling a huge blow to democracy.
"The Supreme Court has failed minority voters today," Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund said Tuesday outside of the court.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57590890/supreme-court-strikes-section-of-voting-rights-act/
WOW!! This is Huge!! Obama asked congress to work this one out. GOOD LUCK !!! You think John Boehner would help him if After he sic the IRS on the Tea Party? Blaming everything on GEORGE BUSH? Spying on Americans after he pledged in his campaign there will be no spying? You think he would help him after the Black panthers with voter intimidation and Eric Holder wont do a thing? And not to Mention the Fast and the Furious scandal? If I were John Boehner id say Mr president you want me to help you? First youre gonna make Eric Holder resign. Then Your gonna fire key members of the IRS fully. Then youre going to cut off all trade from China and Russia. Then youre going to sign that pipeline deal from Canada and open all oil drilling on our homeland. Then you get our deals on this issue.
In a five-to-four ruling, the court ruled that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. That section of the landmark 1965 law provides the formula for determining which states must have any changes to their voting laws pre-approved by the Justice Department's civil rights division or the D.C. federal court. Nine states are required to get pre-clearance, as are certain jurisdictions in seven other states.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority that Section 4 is unconstitutional because the standards by which states are judged are "based on decades-old data and eradicated practices."
"Nearly 50 years later, things have changed dramatically," Roberts wrote. "The tests and devices that blocked ballot access have been forbidden nationwide for over 40 years. Yet the Act has not eased [Section 5's] restrictions or narrowed the scope of [Section 4's] coverage formula along the way. Instead those extraordinary and unprecedented features have been reauthorized as if nothing has changed, and they have grown even stronger."
The court could have made a much broader ruling by striking down Section 5, which dictates that those states must get pre-clearance. However, the court decided that the Justice Department still has a role in overseeing voting laws.
Nevertheless, civil rights advocates called the ruling a huge blow to democracy.
"The Supreme Court has failed minority voters today," Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund said Tuesday outside of the court.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57590890/supreme-court-strikes-section-of-voting-rights-act/
WOW!! This is Huge!! Obama asked congress to work this one out. GOOD LUCK !!! You think John Boehner would help him if After he sic the IRS on the Tea Party? Blaming everything on GEORGE BUSH? Spying on Americans after he pledged in his campaign there will be no spying? You think he would help him after the Black panthers with voter intimidation and Eric Holder wont do a thing? And not to Mention the Fast and the Furious scandal? If I were John Boehner id say Mr president you want me to help you? First youre gonna make Eric Holder resign. Then Your gonna fire key members of the IRS fully. Then youre going to cut off all trade from China and Russia. Then youre going to sign that pipeline deal from Canada and open all oil drilling on our homeland. Then you get our deals on this issue.
