A lot of people are saying that, when the fascist five Injustices of SCROTUS (Republican judicial VD) gutted the Voting Rights Act, it is not a big deal, because both individuals and DOJ can sue under other sections of the act. In Texas, there is a lawsuit that the Texas redistricting plan is racist. All the population growth comes from the Latino community, but all the new House seats are comfortably Gerrymandered for white candidates. DOJ has also stated an intent to sue, but here is why that still isn’t good enough.
A federal court said Friday it will not delay Texas’ primary elections and ordered the state to use political maps drawn by the Legislature – but only temporarily, while the judges sort out a complex and possibly precedent-setting lawsuit.
The three-judge panel in San Antonio gave both sides in the lawsuit over Texas’ voting maps reason to claim victory. The court will not draw its own map for the 2014 elections, as civil rights groups wanted, but it also did not throw out the lawsuit completely, as Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott requested.
The court order, signed by all three judges, also allows the civil rights and minority groups to argue that all changes to Texas election law should be reviewed by federal authorities before they can be implemented. The Justice Department has sought to intervene in the case after a recent Supreme Court decision requiring Congress to make changes to the Voting Rights Act.
The fundamental issue of the lawsuit, filed in 2011, is whether the Legislature illegally drew political maps that intentionally diminish the voting power of minorities in Texas. Abbott’s office has argued in court papers that Republicans who control the Legislature drew maps to boost the chances of their party – which is legal – and that if minorities who vote predominantly Democratic are hurt as a result, that does not constitute a civil rights violation… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Huffington Post>
Section 4, was the section that required preapproval of changes to voting in states, like Texas, with a history of racism. Without the requirement of preapproval, the lawsuits under other sections can get tied up in the courts for racist Republican tactics to remain legal long enough to steal elections, and win another majority in the House with a minority of the popular vote.
10 Responses to “Why the Voting Rights Act Must be Restored”
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I just signed a petition to restore the voting rights actat LCV, the League of /conservation Voters
Go Patty!
These voting shenanigans are just awful – I don't know if they are legally defined as criminal – but it certainly looks like it to us plebs!
They need to be legally defined as criminal.
Well, we know that SCOTUS is a "bought and paid for" conservative bastion of the Republicanus/Teabaggers, well at least the 5 Injustices of SCROTUS are. As to federal district court in San Antonio, I don't know. But the Texas legislature, that seems to be the state bastion of ultra conservative pseudo Christian 'white bread' values, and the hell with anyone that does not agree with it.
IMO, Texas MUST be subject to pre-clearance in order to preserve the voting rights of all citizens. They have demonstrated that they continue to discriminate against minority voters with various laws and actions, not the least of which is the gerrymandering of voting districts.
Love the graphic choice. It says everything necessary in 32 words to describe Republicanus/Teabagger stategy! Divide and conquer.
I think all states must be subject to preapproval.
Voting Republican
So very sad indeed….
I deed is right, Richard!
Your cartoon says it all, why oh why don't people realize this? Gerrymandering is nothing new, but Texas seems to have taken it to a new art form.
Along with several other states with Republican Reichs. They have computers to Gerrymander now that consider every possibility and return the most skewed mix.