Justice Watch: Voting Rights Act Supporters Ready For Fight
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a section of the Voting Rights Act, which spelled out a formula to define what jurisdictions were subject to pre-clearance, was outdated. Former Florida Representative Miguel De Grandy agreed with the court's ruling and has long-believed the Voting Rights Act needed to be updated. In 2001, Mr. De Grandy defended the redistricting of a seat that removed 4,000 Hispanics in Collier County from a seat that was dominated by Miami-Dade County voters. However, the Justice Department ruled that under the pre-clearance provision, the 4,000 Hispanics in Collier had to be included.
"The Justice Department took a very short-sighted view, almost with blinders on," Mr. De Grandy said of the 2001 decision. "It made absolutely no sense."
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