The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 17, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Washington state voters can breathe easier, after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to the Washington Voting Rights Act, passed in response to the stripping Voting Rights Act protections by the same court in Shelby v. Holder.
In April 2023, the Washington State legislature passed HB1048, improving an earlier 2018 version of the Washington Voting Rights Act. The pro-voter reform was challenged by a GOP county commissioner, but was later upheld by the Washington Supreme Court. It was then taken to the U.S. Supreme Court which, April 15th, refused to hear the case.
The commissioner argued that the law violated the state and federal constitutions when courts used it to change the election of Franklin county commissioners from at-large to using single-commissioner districts. The change allows Franklin County’s Hispanic voters to elect the candidate of their choice, rather than having their vote diluted countywide.
HB 1048 stipulates, QUOTE “State and local laws related to the right to vote must be construed liberally in favor of protecting the right to vote and ensuring that all voters have equitable access to register and participate in elections.”
While waiting for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to pass Congress, Connecticut, New York, California, Oregon, and Virginia have adopted similar state VRA laws, and Minnesota is considering one.
We have more on these state voting rights acts at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Brennan Center for Justice – State Supreme Court Upholds Washington State’s Voting Rights Act; Brennan Center Reacts
Washington State Legislature – Text of the Washington Voting Rights Act
Democracy Docket – US Supreme Court Will Not Review GOP Challenge To Washington’s State-Level Voting Rights Act
Center for American Progress – The Protection of Voting Rights Requires State Action
NAACP Legal Defense Fund – Reflecting on the Voting Rights Landscape a Decade After Shelby County v. Holder
Connecticut Legislature – AN ACT CONCERNING STATE VOTING RIGHTS IN RECOGNITION
OF JOHN R. LEWIS.
CalMatters – California’s high court upholds voting rights law
KARE – Minnesota Senate panel okays voting rights bill
Groups Taking Action:
Washington Voting Justice Coalition, League of Women Voters WA, Native Vote WA, Native American Rights Fund, ACLU WA
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