Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Texas’s voter ID law as racially discriminatory after years of drawn out litigation:
“The Leadership Conference applauds Monday’s decision in the Texas voter ID case, but the case demonstrates yet again why it’s critical for Congress to take action now to restore the VRA.
While the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recognized that the Texas voter ID law is discriminatory, this ruling came too late for voters who went to the polls last fall to choose a new governor, other state and local officials, and members of their Congressional delegation. Those who were discriminated against were denied a vote in that election and the ability to decide who should represent their interests in Washington, Texas and their local communities.
This is the same law that, before the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act two years ago in Shelby County v. Holder, was blocked from taking effect by a three-judge panel. After the Shelby decision, Texas lawmakers and then-Gov. Rick Perry rushed to put this discriminatory law in place. Today’s decision came only civil rights groups and the U.S. Department of Justice waged a long, expensive and monumental legal effort to defend the rights of Texas voters.
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Congress should be ashamed to stand idly by while these and other voters have been disenfranchised by politicians enacting discriminatory voting laws to manipulate the election landscapes in their states and cities. The evidence is clear: Congress must act immediately to restore the Voting Rights Act so that discrimination can be stopped before voters are robbed of the right to vote.”
Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals.