HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — State lawmakers are introducing legislation they say will strengthen and protect voting rights for Pennsylvanians after recent court rulings on the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The bill is in response to various federal court rulings, including the Louisiana v. Callais and Tennessee decision before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Members of the House Democratic Caucus said they plan to introduce legislation “to codify increased protections for Pennsylvania voters in state law,” Rep. Napoleon J. Nelson (D-Montgomery) said in a co-sponsorship memo.
U.S. Supreme Court restricts Voting Right Act, but effect on Pennsylvania likely limited
“The Voting Rights Act was the cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement and has been foundational in the building of a multiracial democracy,” said Nelson, who chairs the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. “When courts weaken the Voting Rights Act and silence Black voters, they also weaken our fight for affordable communities, fair wages, quality healthcare and education. We will not let that happen in Pennsylvania.”
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Nelson said the Supreme Court’s decision “puts minority voters at higher risk of having their voting power diluted without proper recourse to solve such injustice.”
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