Hearings begin on reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act

From civilrights.org:
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Members of the House Judiciary Committee, civil rights leaders, and voting rights experts convened on October 18 for the first in a series of hearings to discuss the role the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) has played and continues to play in ending discrimination and promoting equal opportunity in voting.

A major focus of the hearings is the importance of the Act's temporary provisions, which are up for renewal in 2007.

The hearings are designed to educate Congress on the continued need for the VRA. Witnesses will discuss the prevalence of voting discrimination around the country and the role the VRA has played in curbing it.

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Reauthorization of the VRA is "critical," according to Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

"For the past 40 years, the Voting Rights Act has worked well to enfranchise the disenfranchised. But threats to minority voters and efforts to discourage minority voters continue," Henderson said. "In making our democracy work, it is imperative that we do everything we can to ensure that every citizen's right to vote is protected. Congressional reauthorization and strengthening of the Voting Rights Act will accomplish this vital goal."
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