Important efforts underway to rebuild Voting Rights Act have met partisan roadblocks

WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) –House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called for Congress to stay in session over the July 4th recess to pass a new version of the Voting Rights Act on Wednesday, on the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that struct down a key provision of the existing law.

Members of Congress celebrated the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act in a ceremony at the Capitol Tuesday, while lamenting last year’s Supreme Court decision that declared the section of the act that requires states with a history of discrimination to obtain federal permission before changing voting procedures unconstitutional.

Several of the mostly Southern states that were held to those restrictions immediately have since made changes to their voting practices, including limiting early voting and passing voter ID laws, moves civil rights advocates say disproportionately affect minority voters.

Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/06/25/Pelosi-We-shouldnt-leave-for-July-4th-without-passing-new-Voting-Rights-Act/9811403708057/#ixzz36pNnPCl5
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Pelosi calls for Congress to stay for July 4th to pass new voting rights bill