Glad to see Senator Chris Coons (D. DE) stay on this:
http://www.theadvertiser.com/...
Some Democratic senators are discussing legislation to counter the possibility the Supreme Court will overturn a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
The Democrats say it’s unlikely the court will strike down the provision, but they say Congress should be ready to act swiftly just in case.
The provision, Section 5 of the act, requires all or part of 16 states with a history of discrimination — most of the affected areas are in the South — to get federal approval before making any changes to their voting procedures.
“We have to be prepared to take prompt and vigorous action, hopefully bipartisan, to ensure that we continue to preserve that most central provision of American’s civil rights law,’’ said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The court is set to rule this month in the case of Shelby County, Ala., vs. Attorney General Eric Holder. At issue is whether Section 5 is constitutional.
Shelby County officials argue the provision is outdated and should be thrown out. They also want justices to eliminate the formula used to determine which states are covered by Section 5.
Coon said questions that some Supreme Court justices asked during oral arguments in February make him worry they may throw out the provision.
“This Supreme Court is more and more skeptical of the root causes of — and the evidence of — the consequences of discrimination,’’ Coons said. “We need to be prepared to act legislatively to deal with the likely consequences of a federal government that may be more reined in.’’
Coons and civil rights activists say they won’t know exactly what the legislation would say until the court issues a ruling. But Coons said it could update Section 5 to require a swift review of potentially discriminatory practices at the polls.
Coons said key Democrats, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Richard Durbin of Illinois, chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, are discussing possible next steps. Civil rights and voting rights groups would help shape any legislation, he said. - The Advertiser, 6/16/13
And civil rights groups are preparing to fight if the Supreme Court strikes down Section 5:
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/...
Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said if Section 5 is overturned, the coalition will lobby Republicans and Democrats to take action to preserve its intent.
“We think that compelling case will encourage Congress to move swiftly to repair the damage that the court has done,” he said.
A report issued by the Brennan Center for Justice last week warned that eliminating Section 5 could prompt some jurisdictions to implement measures previously barred by the Justice Department as discriminatory.
“There’s a real risk that we would see a fair amount of these kinds of actions if Section 5 falls right away,” said Wendy Weiser, director of the center’s Democracy Program, which supports keeping Section 5 intact. “That could seriously undermine minority voting rights.”
Democrats acknowledge that passing legislation would require bipartisan support, which could be difficult in the Republican-controlled House.
“They won’t even do a budget with us right now in the House,” said Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, a member of the Judiciary Committee. “So to think that we’re going to be able to make some sweeping voting changes, or to salvage things if they (justices) go too far, I think is a very difficult thing ... We just have to keep pushing these issues, pushing them in courts and pushing them in other ways.”
Westmoreland doubts Congress would take action quickly if the Supreme Court throws out Section 5 because lawmakers are wrestling with the budget, sequestration and other pressing issues.
“I don’t think it’s something that would be on the to-do list this year, but definitely before the next election,” he said.
Republicans and Democrats agree Section 5 was critical to ensuring blacks had access to the polls and electing more minorities. Mississippi, which had a long history of discrimination, has the highest number of black elected officials in the country. - Hattiesburg American, 6/15/13
To his credit, Coons has long been a strong advocate for voters rights, especially for African Americans:
http://www.sfltimes.com/...
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Congress needs to be prepared "to act legislatively to deal with the likely consequences of a federal government that will be more reined in'' should the Supreme Court strike down protections against discrimination in the Voting Rights Act and prohibit colleges from considering race in admissions.
"There is, in my view a black agenda because there is a very real experience of ongoing discrimination going on in this country,'' Coons said. - South Florida Times, 6/17/13
Senator Mark Warner (D. VA) has been working with Coons to help make voting easier:
http://augustafreepress.com/...
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) today sent a letter to the chairmen of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, Robert F. Bauer and Benjamin L. Ginsberg, urging them to take strong steps to address the hours-long election lines that too many voters endured during the 2012 election. The Commission, a non-partisan panel created by the president earlier this year to promote more efficient elections, is set to have its first publicmeeting in Washington on June 21.
Sen. Warner’s efforts to protect voting rights follow an election day last November that saw extraordinarily long lines in Virginia. Some voters in Prince William County, for instance, reported waiting in lines for up to three hours. Wait times reportedly stretched to five hours at some voting precincts in Chesapeake, more than four at polling places in Virginia Beach, and up to three and a half in Fairfax County.
“The long lines and wait times that many voters in Virginia and across the country experienced last November were unacceptable for the world’s leading democracy,” said Sen. Warner. “We need to continue looking for opportunities to improve access to this most basic Constitutional right.”
Specifically, the Senators called on the Commission to hold public meetings in areas of the country where voters faced the longest lines so the Commissioners can hear directly from the public and seek answers from state and local election officials. For example, voters in parts of Virginia waited in lines of up to five hours, and in parts of Florida voters waited for up to seven hours to cast a ballot.
“Voters in these areas had the most difficulty in having their voices heard on Election Day, and are those most deserving of the opportunity to be heard at your public hearings,” the Senators wrote. - Augusta Free Press, 6/11/13
Also Coons and the Delaware delegation have signed on to help fight Citizens United:
http://truth-out.org/...
Momentum to free elections from corporate influence is growing by the month. A bipartisan majority of both houses of Delaware's General Assembly have signed a letter calling on Congress to pass a constitutional amendment reversing the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Delaware is now the 15th state to call for such an amendment, after Maine, West Virginia and Illinois passed similar resolutions over the past two months. Known as "the First State" for being the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution, Delaware is maintaining that tradition of leadership by being one of the early states to stand for voter ownership of political campaigns.
A total of 24 state representatives and 11 state senators signed their names to the letter, which is addressed to U.S. Sens. Thomas Carper (D–Del.) and Chris Coons (D–Del.) and U.S. Rep. John Carney (D–Del.).
The letter, which was initiated by state Rep. Paul Baumbach and state Sen. Bryan Townsend, reads in part, "There is no more critical foundation to our government than citizens' confidence in fair and free elections. The Citizens United decision directly undermines this confidence, and was issued in the absence of any evidence or searching inquiry to refute the fair assumption that unbridled and opaque spending in politics harms American democracy. ... The United States of America's elections should not be permitted to go to the highest bidder, and yet this is the risk that rises from the ashes of the Citizens United decision." The letter represents the second major response to Citizens United in the past two years in Delaware. In 2012, Common Cause Delaware and Public Citizen helped pass a bill requiring reporting of independent political expenditures in excess of $10,000 in Delaware. Common Cause Delaware also played a leadership role in securing this victory for free elections. - Truth-Out, 6/11/13
If you would like to get more information or address any questions or concerns you have, please contact Senator Coons office for more details:
(202) 224-5042
And if you would like to donate to his 2014 re-election campaign, you can do so here:
https://secure.actblue.com/...