Washington, DC – On news that the U.S. Supreme Court decided to take up the case of Shelby County v. Holder this afternoon, Constitutional Accountability Center President Doug Kendall issued the following statement: 

“In the wake of an election season in which the Voting Rights Act proved its mettle as the last, best hope against voter suppression efforts, the Supreme Court today decided to review the constitutionality of this iconic civil rights statute.  If the experience over the last 12 months proves anything, it’s that the Voting Rights Act is as vital today as it was in 1965 when originally passed. Hopefully, the proven success of the Act and the powerful opinions written by lower court judges from across the ideological spectrum applying it will convince a majority on the Court to affirm rather than undermine the vital constitutionality of the Act.” 

#

Resources:

Constitutional Accountability Center case page, including our briefs, in Shelby County v. Holder: http://theusconstitution.org/cases/shelby-county-v-holder 

“The Surprisingly Easy Case for the Constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act,” David Gans, September 24, 2012: http://theusconstitution.org/text-history/1623/surprisingly-easy-case-constitutionality-voting-rights-act

##

Constitutional Accountability Center (www.theusconstitution.org) is a think tank, public interest law firm, and action center dedicated to fulfilling the progressive promise of the Constitution’s text and history.

###