Listen Now: Morning News

Advocates push election bills following recent US Supreme Court decisions

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Following recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court on voting and donor disclosure information, two West Virginians are urging Congress to respond by passing sweeping legislation.

Justices ruled to uphold Arizona voting provisions on refusing to count ballots cast in the wrong precinct and prohibiting the collecting and delivering of other people’s ballots with limited exceptions. The Supreme Court also struck down a California rule requiring charities and nonprofits had to provide the state’s Attorney General’s office with the names and addresses of large donors.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey had signed briefs supporting Arizona in the first case and the conservative nonprofit Americans for Prosperity Foundation and Thomas More Law Center in the second case.

Former House of Delegates Majority Leader Rick Staton and voting rights advocate Tina Russell told reporters last week Congress should respond by passing the Fort the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

The For the People Act includes provisions aimed at increasing voter options and ensuring voting access while also addressing issues like gerrymandering and campaign financing. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — named after the late Georgia congressman and civil rights activist — would update the formula on federal oversight over state and local election laws.

“I think it may give some people second thoughts and hesitation, particularly among Democrats,” Staton said. “Republicans seem pretty well locked into their position. The Democrats seem to be more willing to negotiate other provisions out.”

Russell, who ran last year for a seat in the House of Delegates, said the Supreme Court’s decisions serve as “more steam in the engine.”

“We’re going to keep fighting to make our elections open, transparent and accountable to the people, and the best way to do that is by passing the For the People Act,” she said.

Senate Republicans in June blocked a motion to open debate on the For the People Act, citing concerns the bill would serve as federal overreach into state-run elections. Democrats have pushed the proposal as Republican-led state legislature passed bills voting rights groups argue would make it more difficult for minorities to vote.

Stanton noted the efforts of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., regarding the For the People Act; Manchin agreed to advance the measure after negotiating changes with Senate Democrats.

“This extremism of parties has to stop,” Staton said. “They have to work things out. That bill is not 100% good, and it’s not 100% bad. They need to sit down and negotiate it.”

Morrisey applauded the Supreme Court for its decisions.

“The Supreme Court appropriately recognized that the Constitution affords states the right to make reasonable voting regulations,” he said of the Arizona provisions case. “We must work to protect the integrity of elections. It should only be in rare instances that federal law strikes down a state voting regulation, and the Supreme Court was correct in finding that Arizona’s law was not one of those instances.”

As for the second decision, Morrisey said state efforts to prevent fraud cannot come at the expense of protecting individual information.

“The Supreme Court was correct in recognizing that the Constitution sets a very high bar before government should be permitted to burden an individual’s free speech,” he said.





More News

News
MetroNews This Morning 3-28-24
Summary of West Virginia news/sports/weather for Thursday, March 28, 2024
March 28, 2024 - 6:25 am
News
PSC approves settlements involving Mon Power, net-metering cases
Rate increase went into effect Tuesday.
March 27, 2024 - 9:42 pm
News
Speakers at Focus Forward symposium discuss AI capabilities in West Virginia
The event was organized by the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
March 27, 2024 - 8:30 pm
News
Justice vetoes vaccination exemption bill, draws praise from healthcare groups
Educational and healthcare organizations banded together to urge a veto.
March 27, 2024 - 6:35 pm