'Almost unreal' : Bipartisan lawmakers unveil new Voting Rights Act fix

[Redfairen]

Source: NBC News

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday that would restore protections in the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court last year.

"It is unbelievable, it is almost unreal that we were able to come together so quickly to craft a compromise that both Democrats and Republicans can find a way to support and move forward," said Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. 

The legislation would rewrite the formula that decides which localities and states must get federal approval before changing their voting laws – the piece of the law that the court struck down as unconstitutional, leaving it essentially toothless.

.......

The proposed legislation would state that all states and jurisdictions are subject to the same standard: If they have a clean record with no voting violations over the past 15 years, they don't have to ask the federal government for approval to change their laws. But if they have a certain number of voting violations over the last 15 years, they have to get a thumbs up from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia first.

Read more: http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/16/22328058-almost-unreal-bipartisan-lawmakers-unveil-new-voting-rights-act-fix?lite

[Tx4obama]

1. WOW! Great news! n/t

[freshwest]

2. I feel certain this will pass muster even under the current court. Great news! n/t

[global1]

3. This Is An Election Year And The Stakes Are High.....

I think the Repugs are doing some of these things so that they can say that they did and win points with voters.

I also heard that Boehner and the Repugs are going to introduce their version of a healthcare law - this will happen before the election as well.

They just agreed on this budget and the approval.

Something is up - I don't trust them.

[Capt13]

9. Been thinking the same thing

Probably beat their wives then by them flowers .

[surrealAmerican]

4. sounds good, now ...

... how likely is this to pass the full house?

[Archae]

6. With the Tea Party in power, fat chance.

[CBHagman]

15. We need a whip count.

Conceivably there could be enough Democratic and Republican votes to pass this. The question is whether it comes up for a vote at all and then what happens in the Senate.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. If John Lewis says it's OK, then that's good

No-one in Congress has more credibility on this than him.

[Skraxx]

12. Yup, Lewis Seal of Approval is Good Enough For Me Any Day of the Week

Love that guy.

[Dawson Leery]

13. +1

[TroglodyteScholar]

16. Agree

[alc]

7. which states/citites pass the 15 year test?

I didn't see how many is a "certain number of voting violation" in the article. 1? 100? 1000000000? Does Congress set that every year? The Attorney General? What if we get an R for AG in 2016?

This could mean "all changes, anywhere in the country need approval". Or "no changes anywhere will need approval unless future violations are found". Or anywhere in between.

[Samantha]

11. I heard today on MSNBC only 4 states needed to get preapproval

I couldn't believe there were so few. North Carolina was not one of the 4. That was hard to believe as well. I do remember one was Texas and one was Georgia. Cannot remember the other 2 and didn't see this mentioned in the article.

Sam

[K lib]

8. Maybe they can get enough votes to bypass Republicans Leadership

although i do not see that is very likely

[alp227]

10. Freeperville already calling Sensenbrenner a RINO over this.

One comment: "GOP needs to be looking at ways to disenfranchise the parasite class, not stack the deck against white people." IOW a more polite version of "anti-racist is a code word for anti-white". That should tell ya what goes in that sewer pit of a message board.

[Quantess]

14. Good news!