Fw: Congress Stalls on Voting Rights Act

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kathy Guthrie" <kathyguthrie@fcnl.org>
To: "Miriam Vieni" <miriamvieni@optonline.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 2:13 PM
Subject: Congress Stalls on Voting Rights Act

A small number of representatives are stalling the renewal of key
provisions of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark civil rights
legislation that protects the rights of all citizens to vote for
candidates of their choosing. The act has been renewed four times under
the leadership of both parties, but a small list of mostly Southern
representatives are now proposing substantial amendments that would
greatly diminish the effectiveness of the Voting Rights Act.

With a little bit of effort now, we can persuade Congress to renew this
important law. Renewal of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) got off to a good
start earlier this year. In early May, leaders in both houses of
Congress introduced identical bills, each with impressive lists of
cosponsors. Now, two months later, the House bill, H.R. 9 has 152
cosponsors, and the Senate bill, S. 2703 has 48 cosponsors. Leaders in
the House and the Senate have said that they have the votes to pass
this important legislation.

TAKE ACTION

FCNL is joining with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and
hundreds of other national and local organizations to make a major
lobbying push for renewal of the VRA this month. Your representative
will return to Washington this week. Urge your representative to
support and push for immediate action on the Voting Rights Act. Ask him
or her to take up the Voting Rights Act renewal and to pass it with no
major amendments in early July. Contact your representative and find
talking points for your message on FCNL's website at
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=8894171

If you have a few more minutes, you can also contact your senators to
urge their support of the Voting Rights Act renewal by visiting
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=8894276

BACKGROUND

What is the Voting Rights Act? The Voting Rights Act is one of the most
effective civil rights laws ever passed. Since its adoption in 1965, it
has protected the right of all citizens to vote for candidates of their
choosing. The law has been renewed four times under the leadership of
both parties.

*What parts of the Voting Rights Act need to be renewed?

-Section 5, which requires certain states and jurisdictions with a
history of discrimination to "pre-clear" any proposed changes in
state voting laws or local procedures with a federal court or the U.S.
Department of Justice. Section 5 is designed to prevent voter
discrimination in places where there is reason to believe that it may
occur again.

-Sections 6 through 9, which provide for federal elections
examiners and observers in certain jurisdictions. Where voter
discrimination continues to occur, citizens may need outside observers
to secure their right to vote and to have their votes count equally
with all other votes.

-Section 203, which requires jurisdictions with significant
numbers of people who are not proficient in English to offer language
assistance to voters. Three-quarters of the people who need language
assistance are native-born citizens, not immigrants. A large number who
need assistance are native-born English speakers who have difficulty
understanding the complex written language used in ballot measures.

Find out more about the three key renewable provisions at
http://www.fcnl.org/pdfs/civ_liberties/vra_lobbypacket.pdf (PDF).

*Why do we still need the VRA?
The VRA is still needed. Ten hearings in the House of Representatives
over the past two years, together with 14 state reports prepared by the
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, have gathered and presented
strong evidence that the country still needs the renewable provisions
in the Voting Rights Act. States and local jurisdictions that are
covered by the enforcement provisions in the act can remove themselves
from coverage by maintaining a clean record on voting rights issues for
a period of ten years. A number of jurisdictions have "graduated"
from coverage - but many more have continuing problems.

*Most of the Voting Rights Act is permanent, but a few important
provisions - notably, key enforcement provisions - must be renewed by
2007, or they will expire. This year, strong supporters - such as Rep.
Sensenbrenner (WI) - are in key roles in Congress, and their
leadership has assured strong bipartisan support of the renewal
legislation. As a new Congress gets organized in 2007, the momentum for
passage could be lost in the Congress's crowded spring calendar.

*How can I find out more?
Read myths and facts about the Voting Rights Act and find out in which
jurisdictions the key provisions apply at
http://www.fcnl.org/pdfs/civ_liberties/vra_lobbypacket.pdf (PDF).

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Friends Committee on National Legislation
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fcnl@fcnl.org * http://www.fcnl.org
phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330

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