June 25, 2013

Supreme Court Strikes Key Provisions of the Voting Rights Act - US News and World Report

Supreme Court Strikes Key Provisions of the Voting Rights Act - US News and World Report'via Blog this'

If you read this ruling, you can see it only request and/or demands an updated version of data on discrimination. Contact your State Senators and Representatives, your State Congressional members and tell them to start work on developing the data necessary. This data is needed because we will find that not only is discrimination taking place in Southern states but all over the United States. 
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 along ideological lines Tuesday that a portion of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional unless Congress creates a new formula for determining which areas of the country need to have federal oversight in running their elections. While conservatives cheer the decision, civil rights groups are decrying it as setting back their progress.
The Voting Rights Act, first passed in 1965 to help prevent racial discrimination at the polls, was last re-authorized in 2006, but lawmakers did not update the formula used to determine which localities – mostly in the South – warranted additional oversight.
In the most recent election, several state laws – including South Carolina – requiring voters to carry identification to the polls were suspended from taking effect because they were enacted in areas that triggered federal approval.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the majority decision, said voting discrimination still exists and the concept that some localities should receive additional scrutiny was constitutional, but that the mechanism for determining those must be updated before the law can again be enforced.