|
Press Release: LULAC National President Rosa Rosales Issues Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Upholding Key Provisions Of The Voting Rights Act. In an 8-1 ruling, section 5 is protected. June 22, 2009 For more information contact: Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens President Rosa Rosales Issued the following statement after the Supreme Court issued its decision, in an 8 to 1 ruling, to uphold a central provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The provision seeks to prevent discriminatory voting changes by requiring all or parts of 16 states to get approval from the Department of Justice before changing the way elections are conducted. “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is one of the most powerful tools the federal government has to protect the franchise. We are delighted that the Supreme Court, one short of a unanimous decision, declined the invitation to strike down the law. The Voting Rights Act opened the polls to millions of black Americans in the mid 1960s, and today the law retains its historic importance for protecting minority rights. “It is evident, however, that attacks on the law will not stop, nor can we expect an end to the tactics of voter suppression and intimidation that the law was designed to prevent. Democrats remain as vigilant as ever in our efforts to protect and facilitate access to the ballot, and to ensure that no American is ever denied or deterred from the right to vote.” # # # |