The Voting Rights Act wins renewal in the House. [Political Affairs Magazine]
The bill reauthorizes three important provisions of the Voting Rights Act that will expire in August 2007. The law, arguably the most successful civil rights legislation ever passed, outlaws such requirements as literacy tests and poll taxes to prevent people of color from voting and has helped ensure that they have an opportunity to achieve elective office.
The OC Blog congratulated Royce, Miller, Rohrabacher, and Campbell for their attempt to repeal a provision in the Voting Rights Act that requires states to provide bilingual ballots to voters in places where they represent at least 5% of the electorate.
I scoff at these four. Until Royce, Miller, Rohrabacher, and Campbell introduce legislation saying that one must be proficient in English to enter the U.S. Military, they shouldn’t be limiting these people’s right to vote more comfortably.
From the Los Angeles Times:
Proponents argued that bilingual ballots were needed mostly by U.S.-born citizens who were more comfortable reading a ballot in their parents’ language. Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-Lakewood) said during a news conference Thursday that her mother, who teaches English, sometimes prefers a Spanish-language ballot to understand the nuances of complex ballot measures.
have you noticed a decline in the quality of blogmanship that’s coincided with less jubal and more lurk?
my feeling with jubal, though we often disagree, is that he considers each topic on it’s own merits before forming an opinion. he’s not a party-liner. as for lurk…