HJ0124 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0124 LRB099 18318 MST 42692 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States, in Shelby County v. Holder, held that states can no longer be judged by voter discrimination that went on decades ago; and

WHEREAS, The formula used in Section 4(a) of the Voting Rights Act was found to be unconstitutional, outdated, and no longer relevant in modern times; if a state had qualified under the formula in Section 4(a), Section 5 would be activated, which required review either by the United States District Court for Washington, D.C. or the Attorney General; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Supreme Court directed Congress to identify jurisdictions that should be singled out now for voter discrimination, as opposed to discrimination 40 years ago, as long as the formula does not include black voter registration and turnout from decades ago; and

WHEREAS, If Congress does not re-authorize the formula in Section 4(a), the Voting Rights Act loses much of its original purpose to prevent discrimination in voting; without a formula in Section 4, Section 5 preclearance goes unused in states with a history of discrimination; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge Congress to re-authorize Section 4 of the Federal Voting Rights Act so that citizens who were previously protected do not become disenfranchised; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Paul Ryan, United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and President Barack Obama.