AJR 15, as amended, Alejo. Voting Rights Act of 1965.
This measure would urge the Supreme Court of the United States to affirm the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, Political sovereignty is the cornerstone of the
2democratic process in our country; and
3WHEREAS, The remedy and redress of grievances against the
4government is ensured through the election of representatives who
5voice the concerns of the public; and
P2 1WHEREAS, The right to vote is a fundamental right of citizens
2of the United States and is the most important of civic rights and
3obligations; and
4WHEREAS, The political sovereignty of our country is
5jeopardized when eligible people fail to vote; and
6WHEREAS, American democracy is strengthened when we
7create and maintain voting systems that ensure the ability of all
8citizens to practice civic engagement by taking part in elections;
9and
10WHEREAS, Voter discrimination based on race is not a thing
11of the past but a current reality that persists in places such as
12Monterey County, where discriminatory voting procedures have
13raised concerns as recently as 2002 and 2004; and
14WHEREAS, The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States
15Constitution ensures that the right of citizens of the United States
16to vote is not denied on account of race or color; and
17WHEREAS, The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States
18Constitution grants the Congress of the United States the authority
19to protect the right to vote; and
20WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States has exercised
21its authority to protect the right to vote by passing landmark
22legislation of the civil rights era known as the Voting Rights Act
23of 1965 that seeks to abolish discriminatory procedures and barriers
24that disenfranchise minority voters; and
25WHEREAS, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has
26contributed to the immense progress in protecting and expanding
27the right to vote over the past few decades by ensuring that state
28and local election practices are just and fair; and
29WHEREAS, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has
30played, and continues to play, a critical role in preventing and
31addressing real threats to the right to vote of all Americans; and
32WHEREAS, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 allows
33for adjustments as conditions change and is justified by the ongoing
34disproportionate enactment of discriminatory voting policies in
35the presently affected jurisdictions; and
36WHEREAS, The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a reflection of
37the assurance provided by the United States Constitution that all
38Americans have the right to vote without facing discrimination,
39poll taxes, and other abuses; and
P3 1WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States has, time and
2again, reaffirmed the need for protection against abuses that might
3curtail the right to vote by renewing Section 5 of the Voting Rights
4Act of 1965; and
5WHEREAS, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is
6currently under review by the Supreme Court of the United States;
7now, therefore, be it
8Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
9California, jointly, That the Legislature hereby urges the Supreme
10Court of the United States to affirm, as it has done on several
11occasions since 1965, the clear constitutionality of Section 5 of
12the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which provides fundamental
13protections to the right of each citizen of the United States to vote
14and to have his or her vote counted; and be it further
15Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
16of this resolution to the Supreme Court of the United States, the
17President of the United States, the Congress of the United States,
18the United States Department of Justice, and the author for
19appropriate distribution.
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