Page 45 - Preclearance News Today

>> it was very disturbing. certainly what we heard from the court a fundamental lack of understanding from the practical reality of what is happening in this country. remember, part of the reason we had to have these laws about preclearance is the tactics that were used from beating people as we saw to these kinds of insidious poll taxes and tests. and now we know we have plenty of evidence and data from the past election and previous elections that again the tactics have shifted. and its not ab...

Requirements, or changing election dates or anything else they could think of to undermine or thwart minority voting while just hoping that they wouldnt get sued some day over it, but if they did, oh, well, damage is already done. no, in states and in some counties and cities that had really earned it, those states would have to clear any of the changes they wanted to make around their elections rules with the feds. the same way those marchers ultimately got protection from soldiers and national...

This country. remember, part of the reason we had to have these laws about preclearance is the tactics that were used from beating people as we saw to these kinds of insidious poll taxes and tests. and now we know we have plenty of evidence and data from the past election and previous elections that again the tactics have shifted. and its not about voter registration. i think thats a really important point here. its about the opportunity to exercise your right to vote and what it is you have to ...

Later that year through the nonviolent work of dr. martin luther king jr. lyndon b. johnson signed the voting rights act of 1965, and a key provision of the all too important law is in jeopardy now. with me is the reverend al sharpton, host of politics nation here on msnbc, plus -- as well as martin luther king iii, president and ceo of martin luther king injury, center for nonviolence, social change. gentlemen, its great to have you here. mr. king, i want to start with you. both you and the rev...

Least this preclearance part of it, is there enough will in congress to sit down again and say okay, lets see. which areas do we leave out now and which parts of the north and the west and other parts of the country that we left out should we include? that is say huge order for congress. a lot of people find it difficult for congress to do that now since you think about the push of history that led to the voting rights act. the marches and the demonstrations and the violence in the south. is the...

Capitals who were concerned about more democratic votes? >> reporter: it cuts both way. the supporters say a-ha. its why we need the preclearance effort. strict voter id laws in texas and south carolina. opponents of the law say the similar restrictions were challenged using another part of the law that doesnt require the states to get permission in advance. they can sue them if they think they are discriminating. >> thank you very much, pete williams. well have more on this from naacp coming up...

If the supreme court says okay, the preclearance is fine in theory, but we are going to throw out the coverage map and send it back to congress, the question is, would congress have the political will to redraw the maps and do what it did in 1965 all over again and sit-down and say okay, lets look at which states are doing a good job and which states are doing a bad job. i cant answer that question. >> let me ask you this question. representative john lewis, who has been long involved in the civ...

Ryan haygood a member of the litigation team arguing shelby v. holder before the supreme court this week. and bishop harry jones, a pastor at the mount mariah baptist church in colorado and in support of the voting rights act. in 1965, over a century of the emancipation proclamation, signed into law, people of color with their exercise of the right to vote. the heart of the voting ryes action is section five which subjects any voting changes in the south and some other covered jurisdictions with...

And if you didnt have section five in the voting rights act, the attorney general couldnt have intervened in south carolina and other states with a preclearance change -- a preclearance section to stop some of the changing in voting. >> right. thats important. remember, this president isnt shy about calling out the supreme court in the state of the union. >> thats why i brought it up. judge alito agrees with you. >> yeah, right. will he do it on this? or will he call out something else? remember...

Thats the procedure that has been condemned by the justice department. packing more blacks into a district and taking away from democratic colleagues. thats been condemned. every decision by the justice department. fortunately, virginia -- yeah -- virginia is in this situation because of the voting rights act. >> thats what i was going to ask you about. this is likely to be turned back under section 5 because the commonwealth of virginia is covered under section 5 preclearance of the voting act....