Louisiana repeals discriminatory voting law; SPLC to withdraw lawsuit.
Less than a month after the SPLC and the Fair Elections Legal Network (FELN) filed suit over a state law that discriminated against naturalized citizens registering to vote, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed legislation repealing the law – effectively resolving the lawsuit.
The bill signed last week immediately repeals a statute that required naturalized citizens to provide proof of their U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, a requirement that was not asked of U.S.-born voters who simply had to swear that they are citizens.
The SPLC and FELN will withdraw their lawsuit. Voter registration drives thwarted by the statute will resume in communities with many naturalized citizens, such as the Vietnamese-American, Latino and Muslim communities in the greater New Orleans area.
“The governor’s action means that naturalized citizens will no longer be treated like second-class citizens when they register to vote in Louisiana,” said Naomi Tsu, SPLC deputy legal director. “We are pleased that the state moved swiftly to ensure all voters have equal access to the ballot box.”
https://www.splcenter.org/news/2016/06/01/louisiana-repeals-discriminatory-voting-law-splc-withdraw-lawsuit
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