Congressional Black Caucus Urges Supreme Court to Address Voter ID as Issue of National Priority

The Congressional Black Caucus Files Amicus Brief in Case Against Wisconsin’s Restrictive Voting Law

WASHINGTON, DC – The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court urging justices to hear a case filed by the Advancement Project against Wisconsin’s restrictive voter ID law.

In 2011, Wisconsin passed a state voter ID law that required voters to provide identification at the polls. A federal judge later ruled the law as unconstitutional on the grounds that it disproportionately affected African American and Hispanic residents. Over the following two years, Advancement Project challenged the discriminatory law on behalf of African-American and Latino plaintiffs under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In 2014, the Supreme Court blocked the Wisconsin law after the state failed to show that it was able to implement the law and properly issue IDs to thousands of voters in time for Election Day. However, the law will take effect for future elections and will have national repercussions unless the Supreme Court accepts the case.

“Photo voter ID laws significantly impact all voters but especially place burdens on African Americans, Latino Americans, young voters, seniors, women and individuals with disabilities,” said CBC Chairman G. K. Butterfield speaking on behalf of the 46 member caucus. “Many of us led the fight to end the practice of voter disenfranchisement 50 years ago, and we cannot afford to standby and do nothing while historical advancements in equality and fairness are reversed with laws such as Wisconsin’s discriminatory voting practice which, if allowed, will open the floodgates across the country to silence many American voices by making it increasingly harder for all citizens to vote and have a say in America’s democratic process,” he concluded.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus were joined in this effort by the following groups:

·       National Council of La Raza

·       Latino Justice PRLDEF

·       Hispanic National Bar Association

·       National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials

·       Hispanic Federation

·       League of Women Voters

·       American Association of Persons with Disabilities

·       OurTime.org

·       Rock the Vote

·       Color of Change

·       The Charles Hamilton Houston Institute at Harvard Law School

·       The Civil Rights Clinic at Howard Law School

·       One Wisconsin

To view the amici briefs, visit http://advancementproject.org/pages/wi-scotus-amici-curiae