EDITORIAL NOTE: This blog post was originally published on the The Huffington Post.
For many state legislatures, March marks the half-way point of their legislative session, some are already adjourned and some seem to never end.
EDITORIAL NOTE: This blog post was originally published on the Huffington Post.
"Voting is the foundation stone for political action.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On Monday, Americans across the country will celebrate two major national events: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) and the 57th U.S. Presidential Inauguration.
Voting rights have been under attack in state legislatures across the country for more than a decade and there are no signs of it letting up in 2013. Indeed 2013 could be a year that sets back voting rights more than all of the attacks of the past decade combined.
Today, a judge in Pennsylvania ruled in favor of the recently passed voter photo identification law, and not to grant an injunction to prevent it from being implemented.
Forty-seven years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the historic Voting Rights Act (VRA) into law. But, the law is not just history; it remains critical to ensuring that every American can cast a ballot and have it counted. Even as we celebrate the VRA, unnecessary and costly new state voting laws remind us that voter suppression and intimidation tactics continue to plague our nation.
Last week, the trial over the Pennsylvania voter photo identification law started in state court. The proceedings are wrapping up today, and boy has the trial had some interesting moments!
The News Hour, the New York Times and the Washington Post have all covered the Pennsylvania lawsuit challenging voter photo ID. Like the successful Wisconsin court challenge, the case in Pennsylvania involves the League of Women Voters and focuses on the state constitution.
