Voting Rights Act extension passes in House
The House, in a bipartisan effort, voted yesterday to extend the Voting Rights Act for another 25 years despite efforts by some Southern Republicans to add weakening amendments to it. One of the amendments would have eased the requirement for preclearance for states with a history of discrimination, while another would have required all states to go through preclearance. Another amendment would have struck down the temporary requirement of bilingual ballots in areas where more than five percent of the population spoke another language, wile the final amendment would have shortened the extension time from 25 years to 10 years. Each of these amendments were defeated.
“Today, Republicans and Democrats have united in a historic vote to preserve and protect one of America’s most important fundamental rights — the right to vote,” said House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).
Much of the legislation, including a section that bans racial discrimination at the ballot box, is permanent law. However, some of the provisions are temporary, and must be renewed by next year. These provisions:
1). Requires jurisdictions in all or part of 16 states to demonstrate to the federal government that a voting change does not have a discriminatory effect on minority voters.
2). Requires more than 450 counties and townships to provide voters with limited English proficiency assistance at all stages of the election process.
3). Gives the U.S. attorney general authority to send federal examiners to monitor elections.
The permanent provisions of the Act:
1). Bans the use of literacy, understanding or good-character tests as a voting requirement.
2). Prohibits the use of any voting procedure or practice that “results” in the denial of the right to vote because of race or “language minority”.
3). Requires courts that have found a violation of the Voting Rights Act to require a jurisdiction to preclear new voting practices or procedures for an “appropriate” period of time.
4). Authorizes courts to appoint federal examiners to register voters.
5). Prohibits elections to be held solely in English in jurisdictions where more than 5 percent of the voting-age population are in a language minority.
Now that the House has voted, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said he hoped to bring the extension to the Senate floor before the August recess. Let’s see what happens. It will be interesting to see if Senate Republicans from the South try to hold up the Act, or weaken it with amendments. I’ll keep you posted.