By David Martin Davies, Texas Public Radio News for Fronteras
SAN ANTONIO – On Wednesday the U.S. Supreme Court will take up a case that could considerably weaken a key part of the Voting Rights Act. Texas civil rights leaders say if that happens then Latino and African American voters in the state will certainly be discriminated against.
The case before the nation’s high court, Shelby County v. Holder, is a constitutional challenge to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. That prevents states like Texas and Arizona with a history of voter discrimination from changing their voting procedures, without proving they won’t hurt minorities.
Texas representative Trey Martinez Fischer says without the voting right act, Hispanic voters in Texas would be intentionally discriminated against.
TREY MARTINEZ FISCHER: “We have lots of evidence in both the Texas Redistricting case and the voter ID case that will suggest very clearly just what could happen without Section 5.”
Under Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott Texas lost court battles for redistricting and voter ID, which the courts found to discriminate against minorities in Texas.
FISCHER: “So when I hear people like General Abbott say Section 5 has outlived its purpose – we no longer need section 5 – I think what he’s telling you is that he’s tired of losing under Section 5.”
Abbott has filed a “friend of the court” brief asking the Voting Rights Act to be voided. He says it’s another example of the federal government interfering with the rights of states and it is an unnecessary burden to states.
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