Senate Hearing on New State Voting Laws

[RhodaA]

On September 8, 2011, Sen. Dick Durbin chaired a hearing in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary — Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights — regarding a new trend in voter ID laws: Republican state legislators across the country are enacting laws that disenfranchise voters who tend to support Democrats. There are currently multiple lawsuits challenging these laws both in the courts and with the Department of Justice. I am very relieved that these hearings are at last being held -- we have yet to see what comes of them. I know that more are going to be scheduled.

A video of the full hearing, along with several news and opinion articles, including one published today (9/13/2011) by Jesse Jackson, is at this link:

http://www.culturaldirection.com/archives/10447

Here is an excerpt from Jesse Jackson's article:

38 States Rigging Voting Rules for GOP:

As the campaigns for the 2012 presidential election begin, Republicans … in 38 states are pushing measures that will effectively lock millions of the young, the poor, the elderly and minorities out of the election booth. This is the most systematic rollback of voting rights since the segregated South invented literacy tests, poll taxes and intimidation to bar blacks from voting.

[EC]

1. I don't see anything coming out of them

other than the light of day. The repubs in the House will not let it amount to anything.

[RhodaA]

2. Info and testimony at hearings will be used by DOJ and also

in lawsuits. Right about House GOP but the info is not in their exclusive domain.