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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, In 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States,
3in Shelby County v. Holder, held that states can no longer be
4judged by voter discrimination that went on decades ago; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The formula used in Section 4(a) of the Voting
6Rights Act was found to be unconstitutional, outdated, and no
7longer relevant in modern times; if a state had qualified under
8the formula in Section 4(a), Section 5 would be activated,
9which required review either by the United States District
10Court for Washington, D.C. or the Attorney General; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The U.S. Supreme Court directed Congress to
12identify jurisdictions that should be singled out now for voter
13discrimination, as opposed to discrimination 40 years ago, as
14long as the formula does not include black voter registration
15and turnout from decades ago; and
 
16    WHEREAS, If Congress does not re-authorize the formula in
17Section 4(a), the Voting Rights Act loses much of its original
18purpose to prevent discrimination in voting; without a formula
19in Section 4, Section 5 preclearance goes unused in states with
20a history of discrimination; therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

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1NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
2SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge Congress to re-authorize
3Section 4 of the Federal Voting Rights Act so that citizens who
4were previously protected do not become disenfranchised; and be
5it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
7delivered to the Speaker of the United States House of
8Representatives Paul Ryan, United States Senate Majority
9Leader Mitch McConnell, and President Barack Obama.