Page 25 - Preclearance News Today

Obstacles in the path of democratic leaning voters. especially voters of color. between them and the ballot box. make it more difficult for them. these are republican state legislatures, governors that are determined to run stuff through, and theyre going to do it. so two things basically the democrats can do. they cant use their slimmest of slim minorities in the senate. and theyre pretty slim majority in the house, to pass federal legislation that would nullify some of this. the john lewis act...

There are many good provisions in the for the people act, but i think theyve overshot. they dont need to get in the public financing campaigns. they dont need to get into requiring states to set up redistricting provisions and there are other things that i think theres an overreach. >> you think if they strip those out you would have enough vote in the senate to pass it? >> i dont know. it would certainly help. i know not all democrats support it now about the campaign finance provisions. but li...

And by the way, i support it. i was part of a commission to set up one. should that decision be made by congress or the states? there are some legitimate federalism questions to be raised in opposition. there are many good provisions in the for the people act, but i think theyve overshot. they dont need to get in the public financing campaigns. they dont need to get into requiring states to set up redistricting provisions and there are other things that i think theres an overreach. >> you think ...

Colleague, steve collinson is always eloquent. >> its just that one time. just kidding. >> reporter: i think the lay of the land is pretty clear at the moment. as joe biden has acknowledged publicly, the votes arent there yet for this big for the people act, kate. but there are two pieces of voting-related legislation. this is where i think youll start to see the conversation head. theres the john lewis voting rights act. this is the sort of restoration of pieces of the voting rights act that we...

Act but it was reversed by 5-4 vote. john lewis voting rights act would restore that act. when texas tries to pass a bill like this would require preclearance in washington, d.c., by a court or the justice department. thats way stuff has operated since 1965 but now it isnt because of that new supreme court decision. we need that law passed, without it well have more antics from a party bent on these antics. >> peter baker, with all of that in mind, talk about the white house, the administration ...

Right now pending in congress is the john lewis voting act so with texas tries to pass a bill like this it would require preclearance and washington d.c. by a court or by the justice department. thats the way its operated since 1965 but now it isnt because of that new supreme court decision so we need that law passed and without it i do fear that were gonna have more antics like this from a party thats plans on these antics. >> so peter baker with all of that in mind, lets talk about this white ...

Reversed in 2013. the john lewis votings rights act that would restore that act. when texas tries to pass a bill like this, it would require pre-clearance in washington, d.c. that it is the way it operated since 1965 but now it isnt because the supreme court decision. i do feel we will have more and more antics like this on a party that is bent on these antics. >> peter baker, with all of that in mind, lets talk about this white house, the administration, you cover. if joe biden was our guest on...

What i would say to our colleagues in congress is we need congress to pass the john lewis voting rights act. and hr-1. myself and other legislative leaders in texas a couple months ago sent a letter to our congressional delegation urging them to please pass the john lewis voting rights act. we need texas, texas voters need protections from the federal government against these efforts to suppress the vote. whether thats through laws like we stopped yesterday or through discriminatory redistrictin...

From voting? >> when you limit hours making lines longer making working people less likely to catch that ballot, it disproportionately impacts black and brown voters. you decrease the number of voting stations and when you make it harder to a ply dont act mike apply for absentee ballot, not submit, apply, theye flagrant. theyre not going after voter fraud, they are going after voter access. specifically in areas where voters that are black and brown live. it used to be that under the voting righ...

He said the most important piece of legislation that democrats have is the john lewis voting rights bill. because if we dont do this, then democrats and actually democracy are going to be imperilled for generations. democrats know were going to get hammered in redistricting because of the number of state legislatures run and ruled by republicans. however, if you dont have that preclearance, if you dont have that ability for the department of justice to step in and rule in matters in these voting...