Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Texas Voting Rights Ruling, Laments Arduous Litigation Caused by Shelby

WASHINGTON—Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to today’s decision holding that Texas’ voter ID law violated the Voting Rights Act: 

“We applaud today’s decision as a victory for the 600,000 Texans – many of whom are people of color – who lost the right to vote when their state rushed this law through after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act.

Today’s ruling is a hard and tenaciously fought victory that required years of sacrifice and investment from voters, civil rights litigators, and community organizations.  These voters couldn’t cast ballots in 2014 and won’t ever be able get that election back. But thanks to all of the hard work to leverage what remains of the Voting Rights Act, they will have that chance in 2016.

The scope of this problem is massive. Shelby ushered in a resurgence of voter discrimination and now politicians across the country have been choosing their voters instead of having voters choose them. 

Congress currently has two bipartisan VRA restoration bills under consideration in committees that have languished without action. And as we approach the first presidential election in 50 years without a fully functioning VRA, the stakes have never been higher. Congress must restore the VRA.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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