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July 26, 2013

Justice Dept. Seeks Preclearance for Texas Voting Laws 
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The Justice Department has unveiled plans to restore some of the
oversight struck down in last month's Supreme Court decision that gutted
the Voting Rights Act. Speaking to the National Urban League's annual
conference in Philadelphia, Attorney General Eric Holder said he will
ask a federal court to require that Texas obtain federal approval for
all changes to its voting laws.

Eric Holder: "This request to 'bail in' the state of Texas and to
require it to obtain pre-approval from either the department or a
federal court before implementing future voting changes is available
under the Voting Rights Act when intentional voting discrimination is
found. Based on the evidence of intentional racial discrimination that
was presented just last year in the redistricting case of Texas v.
Holder, as well as the history of pervasive voting-related
discrimination against racial minorities that the Supreme Court itself
has recognized, we believe that the state of Texas should be required to
go through a preclearance process whenever it changes its voting laws
and practices."

A federal court last year ruled the Republican-controlled statehouse in
Texas discriminated against people of color in its redrawing of
political maps for congressional and legislative districts ahead of the
2012 election. Holder's announcement marks the Obama administration's
first policy move since the Supreme Court invalidated a critical portion
of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act that required nine states with a
history of racial discrimination to obtain federal approval for changes
to voting rules. Holder says more actions will be announced in the
coming weeks, including challenges to voter ID laws nationwide.

 

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